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 last December: COMPANY: Unocal, Wilmington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Oil refinery PENALTY: $12,125 VIOLATION: Excessive nitrogen oxide emissions from its energy generating unit, repeated violations for leaking valves. COMPANY: Mobil Oil Co., Torrance TYPE OF BUSINESS: Oil refinery PENALTY: $9,000 VIOLATION: Several violations, including gasoline leaking from its floating roof tank and four valves. COMPANY: Coronet Manufacturing Co., Gardena TYPE OF BUSINESS: Ceramic and metal lamp maker PENALTY: $5,000 VIOLATION: Repeatedly using a clear baking enamel with a reactive organic compound content that exceeds emission limits. COMPANY: Vons Companies Inc., Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Milk processing plant PENALTY: $4,750 VIOLATION: Excessive reactive organic compound emissions, excessive nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. COMPANY: Rockwell International, Anaheim TYPE OF BUSINESS: Aerospace firm PENALTY: $4,500 VIOLATION: Multiple violations of permit conditions, including improper use of air pollution control equipment and excessive hydrocarbons from daily solvent use. COMPANY: AMTRAK, Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Excessive smoke emissions from a diesel locomotive. COMPANY: Southern Pacific Transportation Co., Bloomington TYPE OF BUSINESS: Railroad PENALTY: $3,000 VIOLATION: Excessive smoke emissions from a diesel locomotive. COMPANY: Artesia Sawdust Products, Gardena TYPE OF BUSINESS: Sawdust storage, handling PENALTY: $2,000 VIOLATION: Twice violating emission limits for particulate matter. COMPANY: U.S. Air Force, March Air Force Base, 22nd Combat Support Group, Riverside TYPE OF BUSINESS: Air Force base PENALTY: $2,000 VIOLATION: Repeatedly failing to vent methane gas to its sewage plant as required. COMPANY: Enterprise Co. (doing business as GGC Inc.), Santa Ana TYPE OF BUSINESS: Recycling equipment maker PENALTY: $1,000 VIOLATION: Public nuisance violation from excessive spray painting. COMPANY: MAXCO Woodworking & Manufacturing, Los Angeles TYPE OF BUSINESS: Wood manufacturing and painting firm PENALTY: $1,000 VIOLATION: Failure to keep daily records of solvent and coating usage, failure to obtain a permit to install and operate a spray-painting booth, excessive reactive organic compound emissions from lacquer application.