Cardboard manufacturer to correct Clean Air Act violations or face $120K in daily fines
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached an agreement with the Borinquen Containers Corporation. The company, which manufactures corrugated carboard and fiber drums, allegedly violated the Clean Air Act at its facility located in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. According to the EPA, the company failed to properly permit, operate and test boilers at the facility as required by law. The EPA investigation began after nearby residents complained about black smoke coming from the facility. After its inspection, the EPA determined that Borinquen Containers Corporation failed to perform the required tests to ensure its boilers were functioning correctly. As part of the agreement, the company must comply with emissions standards under the Clean Air Act and with Puerto Rico’s clean air regulations. The company must also correct eight issues found during the EPA’s inspection, including:
- Operating without the necessary permit.
- Failing to apply for a permit before building two boilers.
- Not submitting annual certification reports from 2018 to 2022.
- Not conducting annual tests and recording the results for the boiler stacks.
- Failing to carry out the required tune-up tests for the two boilers every six months.
Borinquen Containers Corporation has been given a deadline of February 15, 2025, to make all necessary upgrades to control pollution and reduce emissions. Additionally, the company must submit a final compliance report to the EPA by April 30, 2025. If these requirements are not met, the company could face fines of over $120,000 per day.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, EPA Region 2 Administrator Lisa F. Garcia said, “By not properly testing and operating its boilers, Borinquen Containers Corporation potentially exposed people to harmful pollutants such as particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. Nearby residents initially flagged possible violations. EPA inspected the facility and with this order on consent is ensuring that the violations are corrected.”
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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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