All News Releases By Date

Brotech Corp. Settles with U.S. and Philadelphia Over Alleged Clean Air Act Violations at North Philadelphia Plant

Release Date: 9/30/2002
Contact Information: Donna Heron, 215-814-5113

Donna Heron, 215-814-5113

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the City of Philadelphia announced today that Brotech Corporation has agreed to pay a $400,000 penalty to settle alleged air pollution violations at the company’s Purolite plant at 3620 G Street in North Philadelphia.

In settlement papers filed in federal court, the Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based company has also agreed to comply with federal, state and local regulations curbing emissions of smog- producing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and ozone-destroying chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

The Clean Air Act lawsuit was filed in May 2000 by the U.S. Attorneys Office in Philadelphia, on behalf of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and was joined by the City of Philadelphia. The violations were initially identified by the Air Management Services Division of the City of Philadelphia Department of Public Health. The complaint alleged that Brotech violated VOC and CFC regulations at its Purolite facility, which manufactures resins that are used in industrial water purification systems.

The lawsuit alleged that Brotech failed to install required air pollution controls during major equipment upgrades in the 1990s. Under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review program, major sources of air pollution must install state-of-the-art pollution control equipment as part of the construction or upgrade of facilities.

The suit also alleged that the company discharged excessive VOC emissions, violated VOC leak detection and repair requirements; violated equipment maintenance requirements designed to avoid the discharge of CFC-containing refrigerants; and failed to obtain installation and operation permits for certain factory equipment.

In addition to the $400,000 penalty, to be divided equally between the U.S. and Philadelphia, the proposed consent decree requires Brotech to comply with all applicable federal, state, and city air pollution control regulations. The company has also agreed to limit total VOC emissions to 20 tons per year, restrict production operations that produce hazardous air pollutants, and remove air pollution-producing equipment that the company had not listed in its Clean Air Act permit and plan approval applications.

The proposed consent decree, filed with the court Sept. 24, is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.