ORANGE COUNTY

Paint Firm to Fight EPA Fine: Vista Paint, a Fullerton paint manufacturer, will make an appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Wednesday to contest a $6-million fine levied against it by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vista Paint was fined for manufacturing and selling an oil-based enamel paint--high in volatile organic compounds--in violation of the U.S. Clean Air Act. The EPA said the company refused to stop making the pollutant-laden paint even after receiving several warnings from the EPA. Vista denied wrongdoing, saying it sold only 35 gallons of the paint. Company officials believed they had settled the issue when they paid a $500 fine to the Air Pollution Control District in San Diego.