The settlements cover 15 US plants owned by Saint-Gobain Containers, and 13 US plants owned by the Lafarge Company and two subsidiaries. These settlements are 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.
Ms Giles, said: ”Consistent with Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s seven priorities, these settlements call for tough new controls and innovative technologies to cut down on harmful air emissions that threaten the health of millions of Americans.I am also pleased that 17 states and two local governments have joined as signatories to these actions.”
Ms Moreno, said: ”These two settlements are excellent examples of businesses working with government to achieve compliance at their facilities around the country, which will benefit the health of local communities and the environment.
”Enforcing the Clean Air Act’s new source review program is a priority, not just in the coal-fired power plant industry, but also in industries like cement and glass manufacturing that have been identified as major sources of air pollution. Companies in these industries should strongly consider the benefits of these types of settlements as we intend to aggressively enforce compliance with the law.”
EPA said that these settlements are part of the federal government’s focus on improving compliance among industries that emit illegal air pollution, including cement manufacturing, glass manufacturing, acid production and coal-fired power.
The settlements also build on state partnerships as 17 states and two local air control agencies are joining in the settlements.
