Contact: Ralph Pribble, 651-757-2657
St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has reached an agreement with Acuity Brands Lighting Corp., resolving air quality violations at Winona Lighting, its lighting product manufacturing facility in Winona, Minn.
The violations at Winona Lighting resulted in a potential increases in emissions of several regulated air pollutants, including particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants from paint booths. These air pollutants can cause respiratory irritation in humans and would add to overall air pollution in the area.
The violations came to light in 2011, when Acuity Brands Lighting Corp., doing business as Winona Lighting, applied to the MPCA for air quality permits for two locations at its manufacturing complex in Winona. The MPCA issued one of the permits, a minor category of permit called a “registration permit,” in October 2011. The MPCA had not investigated or alleged any violations at the facility prior to that time.
But in processing the other application, MPCA staff discovered that the company had operated for a number of years without obtaining proper environmental permits or permit amendments under state and federal laws. The MPCA denied the permit application and issued an alleged violations letter in November 2011, followed by a request for further information in April 2012.
During the next several months, Winona Lighting cooperated with the MPCA's request and provided information showing that it began operating a paint booth in 1978. Over the years additional paint booths were added, to an eventual total of five, along with a sandblasting unit in 1997 and a degreaser in 2000. None of these operational changes and potential emission increases was covered by applying for appropriate air quality permits or permit amendments required under state and federal laws.
In addition the company did not submit required air emission inventory reports to the MPCA for each year of operation. The MPCA also documented violations of laws regarding transportation and storage of hazardous wastes at the site.
To resolve the violations, Acuity Brands Lighting Corp. will pay $99,500 to the MPCA. It has agreed to a compliance schedule for completing corrective actions, including submitting required emission inventory reports and applying for the proper air quality permits.
When calculating penalties, the MPCA takes into account how seriously the violations affected the environment, whether they were first-time or repeat violations, and how promptly they were reported to appropriate authorities. Penalties also attempt to recover the calculated economic benefit gained by failure to comply with environmental laws in a timely manner. For a comprehensive list of enforcement actions by the MPCA, go to the agency’s quarterly summary of enforcement actions webpage.
