Pennsylvania DEP Assesses $1.7 million Civil Penalty Against PQ Corporation for Air Quality Violations

NORRISTOWN, Pa., Nov. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has assessed a civil penalty against PQ Corporation (PQ) in the amount of $1.7M for air quality violations in the City of Chester, Delaware County.

Quarterly emissions reports submitted to the Department by PQ showed that the company exceeded several permitted emission limits for pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and failed to satisfy the data availability requirements for their systems. The assessment covers the period between August 2011 and June 2013.

"This penalty reinforces how important it is for companies to accurately control, track, and report their emissions. Failure to comply with environmental regulations is not acceptable to the department," said DEP Secretary John Quigley. "We take these issues very seriously, and it is our duty to protect the health and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth and the environment."

In a 2009 agreement with the DEP, PQ equipped its sodium silicate furnace with Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) to monitor nitrogen oxides ("NOx") carbon monoxide ("CO") and opacity to demonstrate compliance with its air quality permit limits. This installation came after several source tests were performed in which the company failed to show its ability to meet permit limits.

Violations include but are not limited to the following:

• Excessive short term emissions limit of CO (lbs./hr.)
• Excessive short term emissions limit of NOx (lbs./hr.)
• Excessive short term emissions limit of the opacity limit (%)
• Excessive long term 12 month rolling sum of CO (tons/yr.)
• Excessive long term 12 month rolling sum of NOx (tons/yr.)
• Lack of data availability

About Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS)
A Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) is a combination of the hardware and software used for the continuous determination and recording of a value for compliance with an emissions standard (i.e. NOx, CO, SO2), operational criterion (i.e. temperature or throughput), or informational reporting requirement (i.e. data availability). It includes the measurement interface, all necessary measurement devices and associated calibration and data handling apparatus and procedures.

MEDIA CONTACT: Virginia Cain, 484-250-5808

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

Related Links

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us