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Weyerhaeuser Company to pay fine for not conducting air pollution test / Los Angeles packaging plant self-discloses and corrects violation

Release Date: 11/13/2008
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a $19,343 settlement with the Weyerhaeuser Company for violating federal emission testing regulations at its Compton, California packaging plant.

The Weyerhaeuser Company operates its Compton containerboard packaging plant at 19615 South Susana Road.

“Weyerhaeuser Company came forward, voluntarily disclosed its violations, and promptly performed the required emission test” said Deborah Jordan, Director of the Air Division in the EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office. “In addition to ensuring compliance with allowable limits, these tests are important because they demonstrate accountability and transparency.”

As required by South Coast Air Quality Management District regulations, the Weyerhaeuser Company must conduct annual testing of a boiler to determine nitrous oxide and carbon monoxide emissions. In 2007, Weyerhaeuser discovered that it had failed to conduct this required testing in 2006. Soon after, the company disclosed this fact to the EPA under the agency’s audit policy.

Under the agency’s audit policy promoting self-disclosure, the EPA may reduce certain penalties for violations that are voluntarily discovered, promptly disclosed, and quickly corrected. Because the Weyerhaeuser Company self-disclosed to the EPA and met additional criteria, the Agency applied the policy and reduced the proposed penalty from $77,370 to $19,343.

The EPA does not waive or reduce penalties for repeat violations, or violations that resulted in serious actual harm.

Nitrous oxide causes a wide variety of health and environmental impacts including smog, acid rain, and impact on human respiratory systems. At low concentrations, carbon monoxide emissions can cause fatigue; at higher concentrations it can cause reduced brain functions or death.

For more information on EPA’s audit policy, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/compliance/incentives/auditing/index.html