Metal shredding facility ordered to address Clean Air Act violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an administrative order on consent to Sims ARG Inc. The company, which specializes in scrap metal shredding and recycling, allegedly failed to obtain the required permit under the federal Clean Air Act and the Maryland State Air Permitting Program. According to the EPA, the permit is necessary to limit emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are emitted during metal shredding operations at rates up to 200 pounds per hour.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Adam Ortiz said, “For far too long, metal shredding and recycling facilities have polluted the air, especially in underserved communities in urban areas. This action demonstrates that EPA will hold facilities accountable when they fail to take the actions necessary to meet health-based air quality standards.”
EPA in the news
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Roquette fined $207K for violating the Clean Air Act’s chemical risk prevention provisions
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Manufacturers violating the Clean Air Act
3 Louisiana facilities pay nearly $1.5M in penalties for Clean Air Act violations
“Many communities in Southern Louisiana live with a daily burden of pollution that would be unimaginable in other areas."
Roquette fined $207K for violating the Clean Air Act’s chemical risk prevention provisions
Roquette, which stores over 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, did not comply with regulations that are designed to protect neighboring communities from potential accidental releases.
Intalco Aluminum fined $5.25 million for releasing hazardous pollutants into the air
The company failed to maintain and operate air pollution control systems at various times from 2017 to 2020.
About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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