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SOUTH ATTLEBORO WIRE MAKER TO PAY $2.4 MILLION, TO SETTLE FEDERAL POLLUTION SUIT

Release Date: 05/26/1998
Contact Information: Alice Kaufman, EPA Press Office, (617) 918-1064 Bill Brooks, Department of Justice, (202) 514-2008

Washington, D.C. -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced today that American Insulated Wire Corporation has agreed to a $2.4 million settlement to resolve claims that it violated three federal laws. Under the agreement, the company will pay a $1.4 million penalty, spend $1 million on two supplemental environmental projects that will reduce air and water pollution, and will make sure it complies with the laws the government alleged it violated.

In a lawsuit filed with the settlement in U.S. District Court in Boston today, the government alleged that Rhode Island-based American Insulated Wire Corporation (AIW) violated air pollution, hazardous waste, and toxic substance reporting laws at its wire manufacturing plant in South Attleboro, Massachusetts. The government's lawsuit alleged that for more than 20 years AIW installed numerous pieces of equipment emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air without obtaining the permits required by Massachusetts regulations set in place under the federal Clean Air Act. VOCs are a major contributor to smog.

"The penalty sends a strong message that the EPA will no tolerate long-term, serious violators," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England office. But the settlement means more than just a fine, he added. "The environmental projects AIW agreed in go beyond compliance and will improve New England's environment by reducing polluting air emissions more than the law requires, and will virtually eliminate AIW's waste water discharges to the Blackstone River."

"The settlement also will help ensure that the people who live in and around South Attleboro will have cleaner, healthier air to breathe," said Lois J. Schiffer, assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.

The lawsuit also alleged that AIW violated the nation's main hazardous waste management law, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. When EPA inspected AIW's plant they found poor hazardous waste storage practices. The complaint also alleged that AIW under-reported its shipments of toxic substances, violating the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

Both DeVillars and Schiffer praised Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for helping develop the case. "Massachusetts DEP, especially the air pollution control program, did a great job of initially investigating this facility," said DeVillars.

"We have better compliance with environmental laws when the federal government and the state work together," said Schiffer.

Supplemental Environmental Projects

Under the first supplemental project, the plant will retrofit its two industrial boilers to burn only natural gas from May through September for two years, which will help reduce several airborne contaminants in the neighborhood around the plant during the summer. The EPA estimates that during the switch the boilers will reduce their sulfur dioxide emissions by almost 100 percent, particulate emission by 83 percent, and nitrogen oxide by 62 percent. In total tons reduced, this is approximately 58 tons of sulfur dioxide, 6 tons of particulate emissions, and 27 tons of nitrogen oxide.

"These reductions are particularly important in the summer months, when parents and children are playing outside and when ground-level ozone or smog -- a particular problem in New England -- is at its highest levels due to warmer weather," DeVillars said.

Under the second project, the plant will build a closed-loop wastewater recycling system that will completely eliminate its wastewater discharges into the Blackstone River while conserving a substantial amount of water. At present, the plant uses approximately 450,000 gallons of water per day -- 164 million gallons per year -- as cooling water in its wire manufacturing processes. After use, this wastewater -- which is contaminated with metals and volatile organic compounds -- is discharged directly into the Blackstone River. Per year, the new system will eliminate the following pollutants: 82 tons of total dissolved solids, 3,137 pounds of magnesium, 315 pounds of iron, 164 pounds of lead, 13 pounds of copper, and 80 pounds of volatile organic compounds.

The proposed settlement is on file with the federal district court and will be published in the Federal Register for a 30 day comment period. After the comment period ends, the government may ask the court to finalize the agreement.