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EPA reaches agreement with Kimble Glass on clean-air violations

Release Date: 10/18/2006
Contact Information: William Omohundro, (312) 353-8254, [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 06-OPA185

EPA reaches agreement with Kimble Glass on clean-air violations

CHICAGO (Oct. 18, 2006) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Kimble Glass Inc. on alleged clean-air violations at the company's container glass manufacturing plant at 1131 Arnold St., Chicago Heights, Ill.

The agreement, which includes a $16,000 penalty, resolves EPA allegations that Kimble failed to comply with limits in its state operating permit on visible particulate emissions (smoke, ash, dust) from a glass melting furnace. EPA and Illinois EPA discovered the alleged violations during a January inspection.

In a related action, Kimble agreed to install a continuous monitoring system to monitor visible emissions from its glass melting furnace. The company will also install an alarm system to alert plant personnel when emissions are approaching the limit.

In addition, Kimble will keep continuous monitoring records and conduct quarterly performance tests of the system. It will report the results to EPA and Illinois EPA.

Inhaling high concentrations of particulates can affect children, the elderly and people with heart and lung diseases the most.

Information about EPA Region 5's air enforcement program is at https://www.epa.gov/region5/air/enforce/index.html. Potential environmental violations may be reported at https://www.epa.gov/compliance/complaints.