The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a Finding of Violation to Empire Hard Chrome, Inc. (EHC) on September 12, 2013, for violating Section 112 of the Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. ? 7412; and the implementing regulations at 40 C.F.R. Part 63, Subpart N, the National Emission Standards for Chromium Emissions from Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating and Chromium Anodizing Tanks at its Chicago, Illinois, facility. Specifically, EHC failed to adequately control chromium emissions discharged to the atmosphere from three chromium-electroplating tanks at the facility by allowing the pressure drop across the composite mesh-pad systems equipped on these tanks to exceed the range established during performance tests of these systems for 79 days from August 10, 2009, to June 10, 2010. EPA discovered these exceedances through an inspection it conducted on October 18, 2012, and through information EHC submitted in response to a March 12, 2013, information request that EPA issued to EHC under Section 114 of the CAA.
The Administrative Consent Order requires EHC to 1) install high-efficiency particulate air filters on five composite mesh-pad systems at the facility; and 2) conduct performance testing to quantify the chromium emissions from each of the chromium electroplating tanks at the facility.