Paint Paperwork Draws $100K Fine
A Vermont ferry service will pay $100,000 to resolve federal allegations of recordkeeping violations and improper paint use.
The firm denies the improper painting operations—but admits that it does not have the records to prove the claim, according to a local newspaper.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the settlement Monday (Sept. 15) with Lake Champlain Transportation Company, which operates ship repair and painting facilities in Burlington and Shelburne, VT.
The company, which dates to 1826, operates ferry boat services for passengers and vehicles between Vermont and New York. It performs coating operations and other maintenance on its ferry boats at its facilities.
Emissions and Permits
According to the EPA, the service violated the U.S. Clean Air Act's "National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants" (NESHAP) for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Facilities by:
EPA also said the company had:
"Many of the chemicals used by Lake Champlain Transportation Co. are both hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds," the EPA statement said. "Exposure ... can cause a variety of health problems."
Paperwork Snafu
Heather Stewart, operations manager for the ferry company, told the Burlington Free Press that the firm's mistake was not keeping records that would prove the company had remained within the allowable limit on its paint use.
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"We did not have the records to prove we didn't exceed the [hazardous air pollutants] limit," a company spokeswoman told the local paper. |
"We did not have the records to prove we didn't exceed the limit," she said.
Without those records, the EPA assumes the paint was sprayed on the boats 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Stewart told the newspaper.
Stewart said the company spends "a few hours a month" applying paint to its boats at its downtown Burlington maintenance area or at a dry-dock facility at Shelburne Shipyard.
In a statement, the company said it was "fully cooperating with the EPA in resolving our noncompliance issues as it relates to record keeping and permitting requirements."
