Top Air Pollution Penalties

The South Coast Air Quality Management District has responsibility to control air pollution. It can seek court-imposed fines against polluters of $25 to $25,000 a day based on such factors as the extent that emissions exceed legal limits, potential danger to the public, whether the violation was intentional, accidental or caused by negligence and the company’s history of violations. These are the 10 top penalties in June: COMPANY: Union Oil Company of Calif.,Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $10,500 VIOLATION: Numerous violations, including creating a public nuisance by allowing odors to escape from one of its storage tanks. *

COMPANY: Ahmad H. Abdelmuti, Huntington Beach TYPE OF BUSINESS: Apartment building owner PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Improper handling of asbestos materials during the demolition of his Huntington Beach property, failure to notify the AQMD of the demolition. *

COMPANY: Ferro Union Inc., Torrance TYPE OF BUSINESS: Metal distributor and wholesaler PENALTY: $10,000 VIOLATION: Failure to notify the AQMD before the abatement of asbestos-containing materials, improper handling and disposal of those materials during renovation. *

COMPANY: International Technology Corp., Rialto TYPE OF BUSINESS: Landfill operator PENALTY: $8,000 VIOLATION: Failure to notify AQMD of an equipment breakdown and the release of excessive volatile organic compound emissions at Fontana landfill. *

COMPANY: Ultramar, Long Beach TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $8,000 VIOLATION: Violating permit conditions, public nuisance violation from excessive volatile organic compound emissions through line and valve leaks. *

COMPANY: Unocal Refinery & Marketing Corp., Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $7,000 VIOLATION: Excessive volatile organic compound emissions. *

COMPANY: Paramount Petroleum Corp., Paramount TYPE OF BUSINESS: Refinery PENALTY: $5,500 VIOLATION: Excessive visible emissions, failure to reduce emissions during an equipment breakdown. *

COMPANY: Lake Arrowhead Resort, Lake Arrowhead TYPE OF BUSINESS: Hotel PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Failure to submit its biennial ride-sharing plan, failure to implement incentives in its AQMD-approved plan. *

COMPANY: Aluminum Co. of America, Vernon TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aluminum maker PENALTY: $4,000 VIOLATION: Violating several AQMD rules, including permit conditions regarding the use of air pollution control equipment. *

COMPANY: Designing Manufacturing Installation, Artesia, Fullerton TYPE OF BUSINESS: Custom castings maker PENALTY: $3,200 VIOLATION: Failure to keep adequate records of materials and solvents used, not using a required solvent reclamation system, exceeding acetone and gel coat usage limits contrary to permit conditions.