Settlements address 28 industrial plants and require pollution control upgrades, acceptance of enforceable emission limits, and payment of civil penalties.
(Virginia) -- The United States has filed two major Clean Air Act settlements to reduce air emissions from container glass and cement plants.
The settlements cover 15 U.S. plants owned by Saint-Gobain Containers Inc., the nation's second largest container glass manufacturer, and all 13 U.S. plants owned by the Lafarge Company and two subsidiaries, the nation's second largest manufacturer of Portland cement. These settlements are reportedly the first system-wide settlements for these sectors under the Clean Air Act and require pollution control upgrades, acceptance of enforceable emission limits and payment of civil penalties.
The facilities are estimated to reduce a combined 41,000 tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and particulate matter (PM) each year.
These settlements are part of the federal government's focus on improving compliance among industries that emit significant amounts of illegal air pollution, including cement manufacturing, glass manufacturing, acid production and coal-fired power.
In compliance with the settlement, Saint-Gobain Containers Inc. of Muncie, IN, has agreed to install pollution control equipment at an estimated cost of $112 million to reduce emissions of NOx, SO2, and PM by approximately 6,000 tons each year. The controls to be installed include what is said to be the first-ever installation of a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system at a container glass plant in the U.S. Saint-Gobain will also install continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) at all of its glass plants. In addition, as part of the settlement, Saint-Gobain has agreed to pay a $2.25 million civil penalty to resolve its alleged violations of the Clean Air Act's new source review regulations. Of the $2.25 million civil penalty, Saint-Gobain will pay $1.15 million to the United States and $1.1 million to the 10 states and two local regulatory agencies that joined the case.
The complaint that led to the settlement alleged that the company constructed new glass furnaces or modified existing ones over the course of two decades without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment. The alleged violations were discovered after an EPA investigation that included inspections, file reviews, information requests, and the review and analysis of data obtained from the company. The Clean Air Act requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant increase in emissions of any pollutant.
Likewise, Lafarge North America Inc., based in Herndon, Virginia, and two of its subsidiaries have agreed to install and implement control technologies at an expected cost of up to $170 million to reduce emissions of NOx by more than 9,000 tons each year and SO2 by more than 26,000 tons per year at its cement plants. In addition, as part of the settlement, Lafarge has agreed to pay a $5 million civil penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act's new source review regulations. Of the $5 million civil penalty, Lafarge will pay $3.4 million to the United States and $1.7 million to the 13 participating states and agencies.
Lafarge has agreed to install an SCR system at its cement plants as well as seven selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) systems at long dry cement kilns. Lafarge will also install CEMS at all of its cement kilns.
In the complaint against Lafarge, the United States alleged that Lafarge and its subsidiaries, or their predecessors, modified one or more of each of their facilities without first obtaining pre-construction permits and installing required pollution control equipment as required by the Clean Air Act. These violations were discovered as a result of EPA investigations and review of company submitted data.
By: David Greenfield
Source: http://www.controleng.com/article/447338-Major_Clean_Air_Act_settlements_announced.php