U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with IFCO ICS Chicago Inc. on alleged violations of clean-air regulations at the company's steel drum reconditioning plant, 2300 W. 13th St., Chicago. EPA assessed a $25,000 penalty.
"This agreement will protect public health and the environment in the neighborhood by significantly cutting volatile organic compound and odor emissions from the plant," said Thomas Skinner, EPA Region 5 administrator.
The agreement resolves an EPA complaint alleging IFCO failed to comply with an EPA request that the company test its drum furnace operation to see if it was capturing and destroying the required amounts of VOCs. EPA also charged IFCO with not keeping proper records of its VOC use and emissions.
As part of the agreement, IFCO agreed to install a permanent total enclosure around its drum furnace line. This enclosure will capture all VOC emissions and is the critical step in ensuring that IFCO complies with the Illinois VOC rules.