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EPA ORDERS SPRINGFIELD COMPANY TO COMPLY WITH CHROMIUM PLATING LAWS

Release Date: 04/05/1999
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that a Springfield, Mass., company that puts decorative chrome plating on metal parts has been found in violation of the reporting and work practice requirements of the federal law regulating chromium.

EPA's New England Office has ordered the Berkshire Manufacturing Corp. to comply with federal chromium standards. Among other violations, an EPA inspector found last year that Berkshire Manufacturing did not have an operations and maintenance plan to use as a guide to make to ensure chrome is not released into the atmosphere. The company also did not keep various reports, as required by EPA.

Berkshire Manufacturing puts chrome plating on various metal parts for the medical, electrical, plumbing and automotive industries. The company owns and operates one decorative chrome electroplating tank to perform this work. Chrome is a known carcinogen and air pollutant.

"Companies that work with chrome must carefully maintain their operations and maintenance plans to ensure the safety of workers and protect the public health," said John P. DeVillars, EPA's New England Administrator. "We hope this order will prevent Berkshire Manufacturing from future violations of federal law."

The administrative order stems from a June 24 air compliance inspection by EPA that found Berkshire had violated EPA's reporting and work practice requirements under the federal law regulating chromium.