EPA v. CHROME TECH OF WISCONSIN - ACO

Case summary

ChromeTech owns and operates a plating facility where it conducts, among other things, hard-chromium electroplating of mostly ferrous materials. The facility has four hexavalent chromium-electroplating tanks that are subject to Subpart N. Each tank is equipped with a multi-stage composite mesh-pad (CMP) system for controlling emissions, and each system is equipped with a gauge that measures the overall pressure drop across the system, in addition to gauges that measure the pressure drop across each individual stage. On September 2, 2014, EPA issued to ChromeTech a Finding of Violation alleging that it failed to 1) adequately control chromium emissions discharged to the atmosphere from three of its chromium-electroplating tanks; 2) continuously maintain the pressure drop across the CMP systems equipped on these three tanks within the compliant range established during the respective performance test for each tank (by having the sum of the pressure drops across each individual stage of the CMP system exceeding the established range); and 3) continuously operate and maintain these tanks and equipped CMP systems in a manner consistent with good air pollution control practices. EPA discovered these violations on an inspection it conducted of the facility on November 4, 2013, and through ChromeTech?s response to a February 26, 2014, information request. To come into compliance, ChromeTech will provide EPA with documentation that it purchased and installed automated pressure drop monitoring devices for the CMP systems on its four chromium-electroplating tanks, and it shall calibrate the manual pressure drop gauges on these systems such that the pressure drop across each system equals the sum of the pressure drop across each individual stage of that system. ChromeTech shall then conduct performance tests to 1) measure chromium emitted to the atmosphere from the CMP systems on its hard chromium-electroplating tanks to confirm compliance with the applicable emission limit in Subpart N; and 2) establish as a site-specific operating parameter the pressure drop across each system, setting the value that corresponds to compliance with the emission limit. Lastly, at the end of every calendar month following completion of the performance testing until termination of the ACO, ChromeTech shall submit to EPA records of the daily overall and individual stage pressure drop readings for each CMP system, for both the manual and automated pressure drop monitoring devices.

Defendants (1)

• CHROME TECH OF WISCONSINNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• CHROME TECH OF WISCONSIN INC

  10020 S 54TH ST, FRANKLIN, WI, 531329184

  Registry ID: 110000417344

Statutes cited

• CAA 112D — MACT Standards

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• CHROME TECH OF WISCONSIN - ACOentered 2015-07-17

  Primary law: CAA

Timeline (3 milestones)

• 2015-07-17Final Order Issued
• 2015-08-05Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2016-07-11Air Resolved