OmniSource Corp., headquartered in Fort Wayne, Ind., has announced that is taking steps to minimize dust emissions that have caused repeated public nuisances at three of its scrap metal processing plants in northwest Ohio. In a settlement with Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company is required to employ required pollution control measures, comply with emission limitations and obtain required permits for certain air pollution sources at the facilities.
The Ohio EPA notes that the settlement also requires OmniSource to pay a $163,900 penalty, including expenditures for additional pollution reduction projects.
According to an EPA press release, OmniSource resolved violations stemming from public complaints and Ohio EPA inspections dating between 2004 to 2008 at its Ohio facilities near Lima and St. Mary’s and in Mansfield.
Air pollution violations included excessive fugitive dust emissions from paved and unpaved roadways, drag out of mud onto public roads, failure to employ adequate control measures, open burning, causing a dust nuisance and failure to obtain required permits and submit dust control plans.
At all three sites, the company has taken steps to control fugitive dust from roadways and from carryout of mud onto paved public streets, including mechanical sweeping, paving some areas with concrete, cleaning mud from truck tires before trucks exit the lots and improving drainage to reduce the amount of mud produced during rain storms. The actions have eliminated or reduced dust complaints at these facilities since 2008.
OmniSource will pay $66,120 that will be split between Ohio EPA’s Environmental Education Fund and air pollution control programs. It will pay $32,780 to Ohio EPA’s Clean Diesel School Bus Program Fund.
The remaining $65,000 of the penalty is being credited back to the company for two projects that will further reduce fugitive dust at its Lima, St. Mary’s and Toledo locations. At Lima, the company will receive a penalty credit for paving three unpaved roadways. The company is required to spend at least $185,000 on the project, which must be completed by May 2011.
At the St. Mary’s facility, OmniSource was granted a penalty credit to transfer an existing mechanized sweeper from its Toledo facility to the St. Mary’s site and to purchase a new sweeper for its Toledo facility. The company must use the sweepers on the public roadway and on paved surfaces at the St. Mary’s and Toledo plants. The company is required to spend at least $150,000 for the new sweeper at the Toledo facility and to complete the project by January 2011.
Complete details of the settlement are available at: www.epa.ohio.gov/portals/27/enforcement/year_2010/OmniSourceCorp_0817101.pdf.
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