The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 entered into an Administrative Penalty Order/Consent Agreement and Final Order (APO/CAFO) under the Clean Air Act with Abbott Laboratories (Abbott) for their facility located at 1401 Sheridan Road in North Chicago, Illinois. U.S. EPA issued a Notice of Violation/Finding of Violation to Abbot for non-compliance with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Pharmaceuticals Production, specifically for not reducing dichloromethane emissions from a process vent by 98 percent. Abbot was also cited for not operating and maintaining their pharmaceutical manufacturing process emission sources and carbon bed adsorption system in a manner consistent with safety and good air pollution control practices for minimizing emissions.
Pursuant to the APO/CAFO, Abbott will pay a settlement penalty of $10,155, which takes into consideration AbbottÂs cooperation in this matter, return to compliance and an agreement to carry out a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) at a cost of $185,000. The SEP entails replacing approximately 300 lighting fixtures with more energy efficient fixtures, including installation of light-emitting diode bulbs. AbbottÂs implementation of this SEP will increase its energy efficiency and reduce its energy needs, and, as a result, the coal-fired power plant providing energy to Abbott will emit less carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen, particulate matter and mercury.