ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
June
22, 1978
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS,
Complainant,
v.
)
PCB
76—322
NAVAJO
FREIGHT
LINES,
INC.,
a New Mexico corporation,
Respondent.
George
Grumley,
Spivack
&
Lasky,
appeared
on
behalf
of
Respondent.
OPINION
AND
~ORDER OF
THE
BOARD
(by
Mr.
Young):
This
matter
is
before
the
Board
on
a
Complaint
by
the
People
of
the
State
of
Illinois
against
Navajo
Freight
Lines,
Inc.
(Navajo)
for
causing
or
allowing
an
organic
chemical
known
as
phorate
to
be
released
causing
air
pollution
as
defined
by
Section
3(b)
and
in
violation
of
Section
9(a)
of
the
Environmental
Protection
Act.
The
original
Complaint,
which
listed
Navajo
and
American
Cyanamid
Corporation
as
Respondents,
was
amended
on
January
13,
1977,
naming
Navajo,
Aceto
CI~emical Co.
(Aceto)
and
Leyden
Custom
Expediter’s,
Inc.
(Leyden)
as
Respondents.
On
February
2,
1977,
the
Board
accepted
the
Amended
Complaint
and
granted
Complainant’s
Motion
of
January
12,
1977,
dismissing
American
Cyanamid
as
a
party
Respondent,
Subsequently,
Aceto
and
Leyden
were
dismissed
as
parties
by
the
Board
on
June
28,
1977,
on
the
Complainant’s
Motion
of
June
3,
1977.
Hearing
was
held
in
Chicago,
Illinois,
on
February
7,
1978,
at
which
time
a Stipulation and Proposed Settle-
ment was entered into the record.
No members of the public
were present at the hearing.
In the Stipulation, Respondent admits causing or
allowing air pollution in violation of Section 9(a)
of
the
Act
arising
out
of
the
transportation
of
72
drums
of
phorate by the Respondent.
Prior to entry into Chicago,
Respondent
admits
that
the
vehicle
containing
the
phorate
30
—
475
2~
was in an accident near Berwick, Pennsylvania, on December
12, 1976.
Thereafter, the phorate shipment was examined
and transferred to another Navajo trailer which proceeded
to
Chicago.
Upon
delivery
to
the
Navajo
Terminal
in
Chicago
at
24th
and
Woods
Streets
on
December
16,
1976,
Respondent
admits
that phorate liquid leaked from the drums
exposing
Respondent’s
employees
to the
phorate
liquid
and
fumes causing certain employees to be hospitalized for
observation.
While Navajo states
it is
without
knowledge
as to the precise cause of the leaks, Respondent admits
that phorate commenced leaking while in its control
(Stip,
p2,
3).
In view of these admissions,
the Board finds Navajo
in violation of Section 9(a)
of the Act, and will thereby
accept the Stipulation and Proposed Settlement of the
parties
in its entirety which the Board finds to be
in
accordance with Procedural Rule 331.
The parties stipulate
to payment of $3,000.00 as
a civil penalty for the viola~
tions alleged.
The Board has considered the Section
33(c)
factors
in assessing a penalty for this violation of the
Act.
In view of the substantial risk to public health,
it is neither impractical nor unreasonable for Respondent
to inspect and
to control
leaks and fugitive emissions
from shipments of hazardous materials within its control.
EPA v.
Chicago
& North Western Transportation Company,
et
al,
PCB
76-155,
June
8,
1978TThe
Board
will
thereby
assess the stipulated penalty of $3,000.00,
This Opinion constitutes
the Board’s findings of fact
and conclusions of law in this matter.
ORDER
1.
Respondent,
Navajo Freight Lines, Inc.,
is found
to have violated Section 9(a)
of the Environmental Protection
Act.
2.
Navajo Freight Lines,
Inc.
shall pay a penalty of
$3,000.00 for the violation of the Act found herein.
Penalty
payment by certified cashiers check payable to the State of
Illinois shall be made within thirty
(30) days of the date
of this Order to:
Illinois Attorney General, Environmental
Control Division,
188 West Randolph Street,
Suite 2315,
Chicago,
Illinois,
60601.
IT IS
SO ORDERED.
30
—
476
I,
Christan
L. Moffett, Clerk of
the Illinois
Pollution
Control
Board,
hereb~
c9tify
the
a~ove
Opinion
and
Order
were
ado~edon
the
~
day
of
~
1978 by
a
__
(n
~J
~4J~
Christan
L. Moffett,
le
Illinois Pollution Contr
oard
—I’
4rrP