Interprint Inc Penalized for Violating Clean Air Act

A Pittsfield printing company, Interprint Inc, has agreed to shell out USD 80,000 as penalty and spend USD 305,000 to replace old, polluting wood stoves in Western Massachusetts. They will be replaced by cleaner models such as EPA-certified wood stoves or gas or propane heaters. This is in settlement of claims by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that charged Interprint with violating the federal Clean Air Act. The company will provide USD 1000 worth vouchers to each household to encourage replacement of the pre-1988 wood stoves.

It built a new facility in Pittsfield in 2004 without seeking a permit under the Clean Air Act. Further in 2005 it commenced operations without complying with the new source review requirements for VOC emissions, Title V operating permit requirements and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Printing and Publishing Facilities. Interprint used inks that contained volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants.

The Consent decree filed in the federal court for its approval mandated the company to comply with the Clean Air Act and considerably bring down its VOC and hazardous air pollutant emissions.  Interprint has since reformulated its inks to lower the VOC and hazardous air pollutant content.  It has demonstrated that its new inks have achieved emissions reduction equivalent to those achieved through stringent add-on controls.  Now, Interprint‘s new formulations are on a par with the lowest achievable emissions reductions.  

Regulations

The federal Clean Air Act controls air pollution. It requires the EPA to frame and enforce regulations to protect the public from hazardous airborne contaminants. It is the first major environmental law to provide for citizen suits. It is divided into two parts:

Source: