The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (“ADEQ”) and Wright’s Cabinets, Inc. (“WCI”) entered into a May 9th Consent Administrative Order (“CAO”) addressing alleged air permit violations. See LIS No. 17-032.
The CAO states that WCI owns and operates a wood cabinet manufacturing plant (“plant”) located in Jacksonville, Arkansas.
The plant was stated to have been issued Air Permit 1163-AR-6 (“Permit”) in 2014.
ADEQ is stated to have conducted a compliance inspection of the plant on May 19th, 2016 addressing the reporting period of January 2015 through April 2016. The inspection allegedly indicated that:
- Records reviewed during the inspection indicated that WCI exceeded the 3,250 gallon per year application limit for stains each month from November 2015 through April 2016
- Records reviewed during the inspection indicated that WCI exceeded the 6,500 gallon per year application limit for sealers each month from November 2015 through April 2016
ADEQ is stated to have informed WCI of the compliance issues identified in the inspection by letter dated June 20, 2016. WCI submitted an email response to the letter on July 29, 2016 stating that:
. . . the facility had revised the material usage totals for the stains and sealers by removing the solvents usage from those totals. The solvents were added to the stains and sealers and counted in the total usage of the materials, as well as being reported as a separate solvent. Respondent stated that even with the new usage totals for the stains and sealers, the facility still exceeded the material usage limits for six (6) months for both stains and sealers instead of the total months of exceedances noted in the inspection report.
WCI submitted a Permit Modification Application to ADEQ on August 1st, 2016 requesting new annual quantity emission limits be established for all products.
ADEQ is stated to have issued Draft Air Permit 1163-AR-7 to WCI on January 18, 2017. The Draft Air Permit removes the consecutive 12-month application limit (gallons per year) for stains, sealers, and solvents.
WCI neither admits nor denies the factual and legal allegations of the CAO.
The CAO assesses a civil penalty of $1,800.
A copy of the CAO can be downloaded here.
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