CHICAGO (Sept. 21, 2004) -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5 has reached an agreement with Superior Aluminum Alloys
LLC on alleged violations of hazardous air pollutant regulations
at the company's secondary aluminum production plant at 14214 Edgerton
Road, New Haven, Ind. EPA assessed a $65,000 penalty, and the company
agreed to complete a $34,000 environmental project.
"Superior has agreed to install equipment that will cut ozone-forming
nitrogen oxide emissions from one of its furnaces by as much as
50 percent," said Acting Regional Administrator Bharat Mathur. "We're
pleased because this project does more than the law requires."
The agreement resolves an EPA administrative complaint filed in
December 2003 alleging that Superior released almost three times
more dioxins and furans from its thermal chip dryer than are allowed.
There is evidence that dioxins may cause liver damage and probably
cause cancer in humans, and furans may cause cancer in humans.
Nitrogen oxides contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone,
or smog. Smog is formed when a mixture of air pollutants is baked
in the hot summer sun. Smog can cause a variety of respiratory
problems, including coughing and wheezing, shortness of breath
and chest pain. People with asthma, children and the elderly are
especially at risk, but these health concerns are important to
everyone.
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