ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
November 16, 1995
PEOPLE OF THE STATE
)
OF ILLINOIS,
)
)
Complainant,
)
)
v.
)
PCB 96-80
)
(Enforcement-Air)
BEHR PRECIOUS METALS, INC., )
an Illinois corporation,
)
)
Respondent.
)
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD:
This matter comes before the Board upon a one-count
complaint filed October 13, 1995, by the Attorney General of the
State of Illinois, on behalf of the Illinois Environmental
Protection Agency and the People of the State of Illinois,
against Behr Precious Metals, Inc. (Behr), an Illinois
corporation, located at 1100 Seminary Street, Rockford, Winnebago
County, Illinois. The complaint alleges that Behr has violated
Sections 9(a) and 9(b) of the Illinois Environmental Protection
Act (Act), 415 ILCS 5/9(a), 5/9(b) and 35 Ill. Adm. Code 201.142
and 201.143 by constructing and operating its metal recovery
incinerator without the proper permits since 1982.
Pursuant to 415 ILCS 5/31(a)(2), the parties filed a joint
motion requesting relief from the Act's hearing requirement on
October 13, 1995. The Board published a notice of the waiver on
October 18, 1995; no objection to the granting of the waiver was
received. Waiver of hearing is hereby granted.
The parties filed a Stipulation and Settlement Agreement on
October 13, 1995. The Stipulation sets forth facts relating to
the nature, operations and circumstances surrounding the claimed
violations. Behr admits the alleged violations and agrees to pay
a civil penalty of ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).
The Board finds the settlement agreement acceptable under 35
Ill. Adm. Code 103.180. This settlement agreement in no way
affects respondent's responsibility to comply with any federal,
state or local regulations, including but not limited to the Act
and the Board's pollution control regulations.
This opinion constitutes the Board's findings of fact and
conclusions of law in this matter.
2
ORDER
1) The Board hereby accepts the Stipulation and Settlement
Agreement executed by the People of the State of
Illinois and Behr Precious Metals, Inc., an Illinois
corporation, located at 1100 Seminary Street, Rockford,
Winnebago County, Illinois. The Stipulation and
Settlement Agreement are incorporated by reference as
though fully set forth herein.
2) Within sixty (60) days of the entry of the stipulation,
Behr shall submit to the Agency a complete operating
permit application. Such permit application shall
include any and all relevant information regarding the
incinerator at the facility as specified by 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 201.157.
3) If Behr does not have an operating permit for the
incinerator within 120 days of the date it submits the
operating permit application for the incinerator to the
Agency, Behr shall cease operation of the incinerator
until such time as respondent obtains Agency permitting
authorization to operate the incinerator.
4) Behr shall pay a civil penalty of ten thousand dollars
($10,000.00) within 30 days of the date of this Order.
Such payment shall be made by certified check or money
order payable to the Treasurer of the State of
Illinois, designated to the Environmental Protection
Trust Fund, and shall be sent by First Class mail to:
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Fiscal Services Division
2200 Churchill Road
P.O. Box 19276
Springfield, IL 62794-9276
The certified check or money order shall clearly
indicate on its face Behr's Federal Employer
Identification Number 36-0787260 and that payment is
directed to the Environmental Protection Trust Fund.
A copy of the payment check shall be sent to:
Zemeheret Bereket-Ab
Assistant Attorney General
Environmental Bureau
100 W. Randolph St., 12th Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60601
Any such penalty not paid within the time prescribed
shall incur interest at the rate set forth in
3
subsection (a) of Section 1003 of the Illinois Income
Tax Act, (35 ILCS 5/1003), as now or hereafter amended,
from the date payment is due until the date payment is
received. Interest shall not accrue during the
pendency of an appeal during which payment of the
penalty has been stayed.
5) Behr shall pay an additional stipulated penalty of one
hundred dollars (100.00) per day for each calendar day
or portion thereof that Respondent continues to operate
without Agency permitting authorization after the
expiration of the 120 days described in Section XI,
paragraph 3, herein.
6) Behr shall cease and desist from the alleged
violations.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
Board Member J. Theodore Meyer dissented.
Section 41 of the Environmental Protection Act (415 ILCS
5/41) provides for the appeal of final Board orders within 35
days of the date of service of this order. (See also 35 Ill.
Adm. Code 101.246, Motion for Reconsideration.)
I, Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution Control
Board, hereby certify that the above opinion and order was
adopted on the
day of
, 1995, by a
vote of
.
Dorothy M. Gunn, Clerk
Illinois Pollution Control Board