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Bolton, Conn. Manufacturer Faces Fine for Chemical Planning and Reporting Violations

Release Date: 10/06/2008
Contact Information: David Deegan, 617.918.1017

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 6, 2008) – Simoniz USA Inc., a vehicle cleaning products manufacturer based in Bolton, Conn., faces a potential EPA penalty of approximately $400,000 for violations of the Emergency Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the federal Clean Air Act.

EPA’s complaint alleges that Simoniz operated without submitting a risk management plan to EPA – i.e., a plan to help prevent and respond to accidental releases of hazardous chemicals stored, used and/or handled at its Bolton facility, as required by the Clean Air Act. Failure to submit and implement risk management plans may put the public at greater risk from an accidental chemical release.

EPA also alleges that Simoniz failed to submit Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Reporting Forms to EPA for four hazardous chemicals, as required by EPCRA. Simoniz manufactured, processed or otherwise used hydrogen fluoride, methanol, ethylene glycol and certain glycol ethers at its Bolton facility in excess of regulatory thresholds.

Information about releases of these chemicals from the facility is entered into EPA’s publicly accessible Toxic Release Inventory. Failure to submit these forms reduces the public’s ability to obtain accurate information about the type and amount of toxic chemicals in a community. Simoniz corrected the EPCRA violations in January 2008 and has also worked with EPA to develop a risk management plan.

More information:

- Risk management plans (https://www.epa.gov/oem/content/rmp/index.htm)

- Emergency Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act (www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/epcra.html)