ILLINOIS POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD
September
12, 1974
)
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
)
)
)
v.
)
PCB 71-358
)
)
ALUMINUM
COIL ANODIZING CORPORATION
)
)
OPINION AND ORDER OF THE BOARD (by Mr. Dumelle):
This action was .brought by the Environmental Protection
Agency (Agency) against the Aluminum Coil Anodizing Corporation
(ACA), then located at 212 Northwest Highway, Fox River Grove,
Illinois on November 15, 1971.
Amended complaints were filed
on February 8, 1972 and May 19, 1972.
Respondent is charged
with causing, threatening, and allowing the discharge, emission,
and presence of sulfuric acid droplets or mist, nitric oxide,
and noxious odors into the outdoor atmosphere and environment
in violation of Section 9(a) of the Environmental Protection Act.
The Agency presented four citizen witnesses and one Agency
engineer to testify.
Respondent presented four witnesses of
whoa one was a professional photographer, and three were employes
and still are employes of the firm.
None of them live in Fox
River Grove.
The president of the company made a Discovery De-
position on May 18, 1973 and this was admitted as testimony in
lieu of his personal appearance
(EPA Ex.
14).
ACA operated an aluminum anodizing plant in the Village of
Fox River Grove, McHenry County, Illinois.
Five anodizing lines
were operated, consisting of three coil lines and two piece lines.
The lines were put into service at various times from 1961 to
1968.
The operation was phased out starting in February, 1971 and
the last line was taken out of service late in 1972.
The coil
lines were transferred to Respondent’s plant in Streamwood, Illinois,
while the piece lines were transferred to a plant in Ohio.
The anodizing process consists of applying a thin film of aluminum
oxide on aluminum by passing an electric current through a 29
13—561
-2
1
•
~
~
v
~
t
msumsnum
tu
~e coattu
dctLllg
1
,-
-e
eiectr,de
R.
~0-fl).
The
lead
lining
r
£
-
acts
is
t. e
cathode
(negative
electrode).
I
e
~,
-1ta~,
-c
..tlb.ci
it
and
20
volts.
Hydrogen
gas
jc
9
I.
~
.
at
‘c.
a
case’
ire
the
atmosphere
Id
t
ens)
tan
ri.
ust/
f
-
..ncirg,
etci
.,~,
&i
brigntening.
Besid
,u
fur
c.
ad’
o
h-i
c
•ni
ops
eel
are
rhosphoric
and
n
LIIC
‘C-Ic,
ad eassC’
oh,
r
us
ci-
rticals
for
dyeing
and
ceali’-
t
‘to
ure or w’rcI~are r~tsgc..i~ed
‘he Agency p4oduced four citize
vvtT.e-ses all of wFon
cowplaincd of odors
ía
&‘
the witness describea the odor as
rrt
a
c.g~s
(R
180 and 320).
One
ascrfled
it
as smelling like
a comb
ctioi s lEn or rotten eggs and aimno’iia
(R.
358).
The
fourti seid it was a sad
with which she was not familiar and
in add-t
4
it
produced a metallic taste
(R. 305 and 310).
‘he
dors were strongest in the vicinity of ACA and
especiaiy downwind
rom ACA premises.
It was testified that
tie emissions were visble when the effects were felt
CR. 183).
Otier effects claimed by the citizen witnesses were
coughing,
irritatio-t of the eyes, scratchy throat (R
3)0,
33i,
369).
Projerty damage in varying degrees was also claimed.
restimony
was also given b, at. Agency engtneer who
nade four visits to
the vicinity to investigate the complaint.
His visits were on
February 8
February 16, June
1, and July 8, all in 1971
On his first, February 8, he noticed an acid odor downwind
from the ACA plant and what appeared to be a water vapor plume
from the roof
(R.
13).
On his second visit, February 16, he was shown the inside
of the plant by the President of ACA and observed the operation
of one of the anodizing lines
(R.18).
While standing near one
of the anodizing tanks, he felt a strong, overpowering acid
odor which interfered with his breathing
CR.
31).
The anodizing tank, which in this case was 3’xl5’x3’, held
1900 gallons of 20
sulfuric acid
(R.
30).
15-20 volts was
applied, resulting in hydrogen escaping at the cathode, which in
this case is the lead lining of the tank.
The strong, overpowering odor was similar to, but much
stronger than the odor previously felt outside the plant.
He
also smelled the odor downwind on this visit
(R. 36).
13—Sfl
3
On Juie
1,
he
agair
visitcd
‘he
‘icini
y
of
te
o1r~ aid
smelled the same acid odor downwind of the ?lait.
On has
July 8 visit the engineer tock photographs of da”tage
tc
~&et1~..oi
and to a roof
(C’np
Bit.
5).
Respondent adnits to or y tn eirissior
of hydroget,
.vatex
vapor
and snail amounts of nitric ox~de~E~A
‘i.
6~ He pro-
duced four witnesses of ido’ one ~asa prcf’s,’ota
p’io cg~apher
and
three
were
and still
are
erp1oya~of
A~
•
‘let are residert
of
Fox
River
Grove.
All
testified
tha
~hcy
‘iod
iev.r
d..~
ectcl
any
odor
outside
the
ACA prenaes
(R
2.
t3-’O)
(Tr
rcrLpt
ol
Hearings
head
ot
4pr
3
/
ad
29
J$71
‘ia”e
~agez
c
?e4e
J~
)
Respoident fur icr stated that be has noc
~t
a
aiy teots to
ident~fy russiors
(Rush Den.
14).
‘Ihe
dots within the pint, a’test.ed
by
tha
Abc-icy
crg
e..z
(R.
3l
and by Mn
Ciarles Ragal, citize
witicss and
Corner
employee
of
ACA
CR.
216’ r3ea.ly deirors rtt~that tn
°c~~ng
gas
from
the
anodizir.g
tank
and
po
sibiy
~t
er
a’lcs do eatra n
some
of
t
c
contenta
1
t
c
taik,
‘md
therefor~ a
p.)
in_on
c
tri
e
ipmeit
is
r’ece
sary
ii thir
-
ess
We
‘si er tha~the belgit ef av dence pres rted ci ~r1y
shows
that ACA ~as cassing
r~t
p
1
mti’r
n vi
.atton
f S r’~n9
(a)
of
the
Act
and
tha
‘e
c.i.a
p3a7~
a
F
n
cjcr
atter
~le
final
plant
shutdown
C
i8c)
ii
1
0
rt’cr
doub
‘5
‘)
the
origin
of
the
poiiutio~
Tha
pea”l
-
s
~,.
;
d
f
o
that
i
would
have
been
becatse
tie
“Ii
~a
it
o
.s.t
s
was
it
durirg
t
•
r°rio1
f
vi
~C.
S
\cq
stio
•
iod~~si..orc
r
enderdnro
yrr..
ci si
~h.,1dart
p~nioncoitstt-
tea
to
Bond’s
tii’
ra
of
fa:
a
~n’
c
C ~
$
of
law
O1L
It
LD
the
order
of
t
4*
in
Cont
iat
Basrd
-
a
Respondent
shall
pay
a
nenaity
f
$1
F,.)’
fox
th~
n
la
ion
o’
Section 9(a) of the Ac. as descrate
it
th
s
&
v
oi
P’y~e
u.
shall be
oy
certified
check
o
r.oney
axd3
.ic
-
‘ya
ie
tO
State
of
Illinois
Fiscas
Services
1),ie
-v~r~-ircntai
o-
tectiom
Agency,
2200
Churcniil
Road,
Springfi”
,
Il~aois
52
36
Paynent
shall
be
rnlerel
witini
00
dafa
of
tl-’~
a
pA
i r
‘i
Order.
IT IS SO ORDERED
13 -556
I, Christan L~Moffett, Clerk of the Illinois Pollution
Control Board
hereby certify the above Opinion and Order were
adopted on the
~
day of
~
i
,
1974 by a vote of
_~
13
554