Ashburnham Chemical Company Assessed $29,648 Penalty for Violating Air Pollution Control Requirements
BOSTON - The Flo Chemical Corp., which produces a protein from corn meal at its Ashburnham manufacturing plant, was assessed a $29,648 penalty by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) for violating Air Pollution Control regulations.
During a May 2011 follow-up inspection of the company's Puffer Street plant, MassDEP personnel determined that the company had both new and repeat violations of its Air Pollution Control Approval permit. The company was not conducting required system testing protocols, and it had not been maintaining all required operating records. Failure to keep appropriate records caused the company to misreport annual air emissions, and potentially exceed approved emission limits.
In a negotiated agreement, the company is required to comply with all applicable regulations and approval conditions, many of which it has already complied with, and pay $15,360 of the penalty. The remaining $14,288 of the penalty was suspended pending the company's compliance with the consent order, and submission of documentation that demonstrates that the company did not exceed major source thresholds for alcohol emissions.
"Proper monitoring and record-keeping is the key to demonstrating compliance with certain environmental regulations and approvals," said Lee Dillard Adams, deputy director of MassDEP's Central Regional Office in Worcester.
MassDEP is responsible for ensuring clean air and water, safe management and recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
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