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So. Calif. fiberglass manufacturer agrees to pay $25,000 for failing to submit timely toxic reports

Release Date: 02/23/2006
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute (213) 244-1815

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently reached an $8,500 settlement with a southern California company for allegedly failing to submit toxic chemical reports, a violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

Fiber-Tech Engineering, Inc., located at 611 Rock Springs Road in Escondido, Calif., allegedly failed to submit timely, complete, and correct reports detailing the amounts of styrene released at its facility during calendar years 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. EPA inspectors discovered the violations during a routine inspection.

"Facilities that use toxic chemicals such as styrene must follow our reporting rules so that area residents and emergency response personnel are informed of possible chemical hazards in the local environment," said Enrique Manzanilla, Communities and Ecosystems Division Director for EPA's Pacific Southwest region. "This penalty should remind others that we are maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and are serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws."

Federal community right-to-know laws require facilities processing more than 25,000 lbs. of styrene to report releases of these chemicals on an annual basis to EPA and the state. Fiber-Tech Engineering, Inc., exceeded these thresholds in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001, and allegedly failed to submit release reports to EPA for any of these years.

Fiber-Tech Engineering, Inc., processes styrene in connection with its fiberglass/resin manufacturing operations. Exposure to this chemical can irritate the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Severe exposure can affect kidney functions.

Each year EPA compiles the information submitted to it from the previous year regarding toxic chemical releases and produces a national Toxics Release Inventory database for public availability. This TRI database includes detailed information on nearly 650 chemicals used by over 23,000 industrial and federal facilities.

For more information on the TRI program, visit:
https://www.epa.gov/tri.
The U.S. EPA's environmental databases, including the TRI data, can be accessed at: https://www.epa.gov/enviro.