All News Releases By Date

UMass Agrees to $40,000 Fine and $128,000 in Environmental Projects To Settle Clean Air Violations

Release Date: 07/23/2002
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1014

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the University of Massachusetts (UMass) has agreed to a settlement for alleged clean air violations at its Amherst campus. UMass will pay a $40,000 fine, implement an environmental management system at its garage, and carry out two environmental projects to reduce energy use on campus.

"Colleges and universities can have big environmental impacts from their vehicle and facility operations. That's why we have a major initiative that includes both inspections and compliance assistance for colleges and universities," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. "The good news in this case is that UMass has agreed to projects that will have positive environmental impacts."

EPA's investigation into UMass' Clean Air Act compliance began with a May 2000 EPA inspection as part of the region's college and universities initiative. Violations included:

• fueling vehicles at a gasoline fueling station without a properly operating vapor recovery and control system;
• use of coatings in the vehicle repair shop that exceeded limits for volatility;
• failing to keep records of degreasing operations;
• submission of inaccurate emissions figures on annual registrations;
• late and inadequate response to information requests.

Under the settlement, UMass will replace 23 electric lights in one of its parking lots with 23 photovoltaic (solar-powered) lights. UMass will also replace three gasoline-powered pickup trucks or vans in its fleet with three electric-powered vehicles. The two projects will create an estimated annual reduction of 150 pounds of VOC emissions; 1,170 pounds of carbon monoxide emissions and 46,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.