Allegheny County Health Department fines, issues order against chemical company

PITTSBURGH — The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) issued an enforcement order today to Neville Chemical Company for violating the emissions limits in their Title V permit during an overnight incident in early September. The violation resulted in a strong odor reported by multiple residents in the City of Pittsburgh, McKees Rocks and the immediate surrounding areas.

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“As the department that is delegated authority for the Clean Air Act in Allegheny County, the Health Department is committed to enforcing the regulations,” said Patrick Dowd, the Allegheny County Health Department’s Chief Operating Officer. “When breakdowns occur, it is our job to hold the source of the breakdown responsible, and we take that responsibility seriously.”

In the early morning hours of September 2, first responders, including Allegheny County Emergency Services and Ohio Township Police, responded to the Neville Chemical Company following reports of a strong odor. The Health Department also sent enforcement inspectors to investigate the source of the odor.

All breakdowns at a permitted facility must be reported to the Health Department within one hour. In this case, the Health Department received the initial breakdown report 33 hours after the incident. Neville Chemical Company reported that one of the bottom valves leaked on a heat polymerization still, allowing raw material to enter a resin kettle and release a hydrocarbon mixture into the air.

Per the enforcement order, Neville Chemical Company must submit a corrective action plan to ensure that foreign volatile material does not enter their resin kettles in the future. They have 60 days from the date of the order to submit their plan. The company was also assessed a civil penalty of $62,075.00. Payment of the fine will go to the Allegheny County Clean Air Fund. Violations include exceeding levels of short term Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emissions, and exceeding short-term and long-term Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPs) emissions.

The penalty is based on the following violations:

• Exceeding emissions limit allowed by the Title V permit for Volatile Organic Compounds, and short term and long-term Hazardous Air Pollutants.
• Work practices.
• Failure to submit breakdown report on time.
• Failure to determine valve failure in a timely manner.

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