Feb. 9, 2001
Vol. 31, No. 38

For further information, contact Ali Mirzakhalili, Air Quality Management, 302-323-4542; or Melinda Carl, Information and Education, 302-739-4506

DaimlerChrysler Equipment Malfunctions Resolved in DNREC Final Findings and Order with $25,000 Penalty

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Nicholas A. DiPasquale has entered into a Final Findings and Order with DaimlerChrysler Corporation, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., resolving equipment malfunctions that occurred in August 1999 and February 2000 at DaimlerChrysler's Newark, Del. motor vehicle assembly plant.

Under terms and provisions of the Order, DaimlerChrysler will pay a $25,000 administrative penalty and $850 toward investigative costs. The company will also develop and submit to DNREC for approval, a guideline document on the appropriate facility response in the event of a regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) malfunction.

Emissions from the ovens in the company's Newark facility paintshop are routed to an RTO, which reduces the emissions of paint organics. On Aug. 9, 12 and 13, the RTO experienced several 3-hour periods of operation in which the average temperature was more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit below the average temperature recorded during the most recent performance test demonstrating the facility's compliance.

On Feb. 20, 2000, the RTO began malfunctioning at 10:54 p.m. No coating operations were taking place during the time and facility personnel investigated the cause and corrected the malfunction by 12:30 p.m. the next evening, Feb. 21. Though the RTO malfunction caused periods of RTO bypass during production Feb. 21, the facility did not exceed the tons per day or pounds per gallon of applied coating solids emissions limits set in its permits.

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