Air Panel to Focus on Solvent Emissions

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control Board on Tuesday is set to consider adopting new regulations aimed at reducing emissions from screen-printing plants.

County air pollution regulators are seeking to reduce by half the amount of emissions generated by solvents used by 385 screen-printing operations as part of a larger effort to meet state and federal air quality standards.

In screen printing, inks, special coatings and adhesives are used to transfer pictures or other images through a special screen onto T-shirts, signs, posters, decals, banners and other objects.

The amount of reactive organic compounds released from screen-printing plants around the county is estimated to have been 12 tons in 1990 and is expected to increase to about 13.2 million tons by 2003. With the adoption of the new regulations, emissions are expected to be cut to about 6.6. tons per year.

The new regulations, which would go into effect Dec. 1, would require screen-printing plants to adopt certain operational changes and to use less polluting materials and equipment, said Jerry Mason, an official with the Air Pollution Control District.

“We have good cooperation” from businesses, Mason said. “There’s been no controversy.”