Air Quality Violators Pay Over $5.3 Million in 2007

The Maricopa County Air Quality Department announces air pollution violators paid a record $5,331,239.56 in settlement violations in 2007. Violators paid $285,046.25 in December alone. By comparison, the Air Quality Department collected approximately $3.7 million in 2006. A list of all settlement cases for the month is posted to the bottom of this document including the following three highest settlement cases for December:  

International Rectifier signed a settlement agreement for $98,500.00 on December 18th to resolve four alleged air quality violations. These alleged violations include: failure to submit an emissions report to the Maricopa County Air Quality Department every six months from the date the permit was issued; operating equipment without the exhaust being vented first through a properly functioning wet scrubber with associated properly functioning monitoring equipment; operating equipment without air pollution controls in place and failure to maintain system checks, and/or maintenance as identified in the Operation & Maintenance plan on all control devices and monitoring equipment. The alleged violations occurred at 550 W. Juanita Avenue in Mesa. International Rectifier’s office is located at 550 W. Juanita Avenue in Mesa. The settlement was paid in full on December 27, 2007.

The Renaissance Companies signed a settlement agreement for $33,890.00 on December 19^th to resolve seven alleged air quality violations. These alleged violations include: failure to install, maintain and use a suitable trackout control device; failure to immediately clean up trackout, carryout spillage and/or erosion; failure to maintain a daily log recording the control measures in the approved Dust Control Plan and for failure to obtain an earthmoving permit prior to beginning earthmoving operations. The alleged violations occurred at the following three locations:

• 51^st Avenue & Buckeye Road in Phoenix
• 5110 N. Dysart Road in Litchfield Park
• 53^rd Avenue & Hadley Street in Phoenix

The Renaissance Companies’ office is located at 8925 E. Pima Center Parkway #205 in Scottsdale. The settlement was paid in full on December 18, 2007.

DL Norton General Contracting, Inc. signed a settlement agreement for 23,832.50 on December 5^th to resolve five alleged air quality violations. These alleged violations include: failure to immediately clean up trackout, carryout, spillage and/or erosion; failure to cover haul trucks with a tarp or other suitable closure; allowing visible fugitive dust emissions to exceed 20% opacity and for failure to implement control measures before, after and while conducting any dust generating operation. The alleged violations occurred at 6215 N. Miller Road in Scottsdale. DL Norton’s office is located at 7730 E. Evans Road in Phoenix. The settlement was paid in full on December 14, 2007.

Cases noted above reflect the three highest settlements in December.  A complete list of December 2007 enforcement settlements is listed in the table below.