To settle charges that it violated the Clean Air Act, the owners of a South Portland fuel and asphalt storage facility will spend $150,000 encouraging locals to replace their wood stoves, federal officials said Monday.
A collective of Massachusetts-based firms doing business under the name Global reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice on remediation steps after their South Portland tanks were found to be emitting toxic chemical compounds “at substantially higher levels than previously estimated,” the agencies announced.
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Under the deal, Global will install mist eliminator systems on the tanks to reduce air pollution and pay a $40,000 penalty to settle the charges it broke the Clean Air Act. It will also apply for a revised state permit that will limit both the amount of oil and asphalt that can pass through the Clark Road facility, as well as the number of days it can heat the tanks.
Global has also agreed to invest $150,000 in a program that offers local owners of wood-burning stoves vouchers to help pay to replace or update those stoves with “cleaner-burning, more efficient heating equipment,” the federal agencies announced.
After a 30-day period allowing for public comment, the deal must be approved by the court.
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