This is How Much DEP Fined Sherwin-Williams for Air Quality Violations at Rochester Plant

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) this week announced it entered into a Consent Order and Agreement with The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company to resolve air quality violations at its Rochester Plant in Beaver County.

According to a press release issued Tuesday, Sherwin-Williams will pay a total $124,700 civil penalty within 30 days of receiving the fully executed consent order.

The air quality violations first came to light thanks to investigative reporting by KDKA’s Meghan Schiller after neighbors sounded the alarm over what they described as persistent chemical smell.

The consent order addresses violations related to:

• Failure to install and operate air cleaning devices in a timely manner

• Air contaminant source construction/installation without proper plan approval

• Missed required startup notifications

• Failure to perform required monitoring and recordkeeping under permit and plan approval conditions

• Issues tied to required control equipment startup timelines and stack testing

In addition to the $124,700 civil penalty, the agreement establishes stipulated penalties for future violations.

For example, Sherwin-Williams will be fined $1,000 per day per violation for failing to meet any of the agreement deadlines, including those associated with the installation and operation of a Thermal Oxidizer and South Tank Truck Area Carbon Adsorber.

The agreement remains in effect until DEP determines Sherwin-Williams has completed all required corrective actions and paid all required penalties.

Editor’s Note: For those who’d like to take a deeper dive, you can access the full agreement here.