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Jan. 25, 2001 For further information, contact Ali Mirzakhalili, Air Quality, 302-323-4542, or Melinda Carl, Information and Education, 302-739-4506 Lafarge Issued Notice of $15,000 Penalty For Air Permit ViolationsDepartment of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Nicholas A. DiPasquale issued a Notice of Amended Administrative Order with a $15,000 penalty to Lafarge Corporation, Wilmington, yesterday afternoon. Lafarge was assessed the penalty for violating conditions of its operating permits by releasing excess levels of calcium sulfate, a dust particulate, and failing to notify the Department of the incident. Calcium sulfate is not considered a hazardous substance. Lafarge Corporation, 500 Swedes Landing Road, Wilmington, operates a gypsum wallboard manufacturing facility in the Port of Wilmington. The company produces bulk gypsum material and wallboard. The gypsum material is crushed, screened, milled and dried to form landplaster, which is calcined to form stucco. The landplaster and stucco can be conveyed to either packing or wallboard manufacturing areas. On Nov. 14, 1998, conveyors on the fifth floor "bridge" between the milling system and forming system areas experienced a malfunction. A similar incident occurred on a smaller scale on or about April 24, 1999. The Nov. 14, 1998 malfunction encompassed a separation of two screw shaft sections of one of the conveyors and resulted in an accumulation of stucco on the bridge area and onto the plant roof immediately below. Approximately 25 tons of stucco (calcium sulfate) spilled into the area and fell to the third floor roof. The substance covered a significant portion of the yard area of the facility, and some of the dust migrated off the property into the area of the marine terminal. Lafarge did not report the incident to the Department; the incident came to the Department's attention by way of complaints to DNREC's complaint line from workers in the area of the marine terminal. Following the Department's investigation, Lafarge was found to have violated conditions of its operating permit by releasing the calcium sulfate and allowing air contaminant emission levels to exceed permitted levels, thus creating a condition of air pollution without reporting it to the Department's Division of Air and Waste Management. Lafarge was also ordered to pay $1,310.55 in costs. The company may request a public hearing within 30 days. -30- Document no. 40-01/01/01/24 |
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