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Air Quality District Reaches Settlement With Pacific Steel

Posted on: Thursday, 29 December 2005, 09:00 CST

By Alan Lopez, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif., Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

Dec. 29--BERKELEY -- Pacific Steel Casting of Berkeley has reached a settlement with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District over odorous emissions that have long been a source of complaint among nearby residents.

As part of the settlement, Pacific Steel will be required to install a $2 million carbon filtration system on one of its three plants. In addition, the company will pay $17,500 in fines and develop an odor-management plan approved by the air district for the entire facility.

"They're settling notices of violation that were written in the year 2005," said Bruce Paltenghi, an attorney for Pacific Steel. "Those have gotten resolved. The other part of the settlement agreement is an effort to prevent further violation notices or to prevent odors in the community."

Pacific Steel Casting, a steel plant located on Second Street in West Berkeley, accrued nine notices of violations for odorous emissions, opacity and permit violations this year.

Under the agreement reached last week, the company will need to install a carbon-abatement system to reduce odorous emissions from Plant 3 by Oct. 15. Until then, it will pay a penalty of $3,000 for any day that the air district confirms five odor complaints. Pacific Steel announced this year its intention to install the filter on Plant 3.

Longtime West Berkeley resident Janice Schroeder called the $17,500 in fines a "drop in the bucket" for Pacific Steel, which employs between 500 and 600 unionized workers.

She also expressed disappointment over the requirement of five odor complaints for penalties, which she said is difficult because it requires a confirmation from an inspector who may not be readily available.

Because of the weather, the smell may be gone by the time an inspector arrives, she said.

"So it's very difficult to get a confirmed complaint," said Schroeder, a member of the West Berkeley Alliance for Clean Air and Safe Jobs, a group lobbying for cleaner emissions from Pacific Steel. "To get five within a 24-hour period of time is very hard."

Schroeder was more upbeat about other aspects of the settlement, such as the prohibition of cooling castings and hot molds and materials from being stored outside; the closure of Plant 2 and Plant 3 external doors, except for people entering and exiting; and the closure of doors located between the cooling and cleaning rooms during high-wind conditions.

Those requirements are part of an odor-management plan Pacific Steel will be required to submit by March 31.

According to the settlement, the plan will include requirements for operation, inspection and repair of systems to capture and control odorous emissions. It also will assure that employees receive regular training, according to the air district.

A community meeting with air district and Pacific Steel officials will be held to discuss the settlement Jan. 31 at the West Berkeley Senior Center.

"I'm hopeful that we'll see that this does make a change, but I think we will have to continue to monitor the industry to make sure the equipment they have is installed properly," Schroeder said. "And I do encourage them to use less toxic chemicals."

Reach Alan Lopez at 510-243-3578 or e-mail alopez1@cctimes.com.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, Calif.

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Source: Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

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