Massachusetts Baking Company Pays Fine for Clean Air Violations
A baking company in Malden, Mass., has agreed to pay a fine of $50,000 for Clean Air Act Violations and will spend $25,000 to purchase renewable energy credits, EPA announced on Oct. 10.
Piantedosi Baking Co., a manufacturer of bread products, owns and operates two facilities located at 129 and 240 Commercial Street in Malden. At these facilities, Piantedosi operates a number of industrial freezers that contain ozone depleting substances. EPA found that Piantedosi had failed to document the type of repairs that were conducted on its refrigeration equipment and failed to document that leak repair verification tests had been performed. The failure to document these activities made it difficult for EPA to determine if the company was effectively repairing refrigerant leaks.
Certain types of refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contain ozone depleting substances that destroy the thin layer of ozone in the upper part of the atmosphere called the stratosphere. In addition, CFCs are potent greenhouses gases that contribute to climate change.
As part of the settlement, Piantedosi will purchase renewable energy credits representing 27 percent of its electric power over two years. This purchase of renewable energy will result in significant reductions in carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide.
More information on clean air enforcement in EPA Region 1 can be found at http://www.epa.gov/region1/enforcement/air.
This article originally appeared in the 10/01/2007 issue of Environmental Protection.