This Administrative Compliance Order requires Chromium, Inc. (Chromium) to comply with the National Emission Standards for Chromium Emissions from Hard and Decorative Chromium Electroplating and Chromium Anodizing Tanks at 40 C.F.R. Part 63, Subpart N (Subpart N); and the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Area Source Standards for Plating and Polishing Operations at 40 C.F.R. Part 63, Subpart WWWWWW (Subpart 6W).
Chromium owns and operates a plating facility where it conducts industrial hard-chromium electroplating. The facility has two hexavalent chromium tanks that are subject to Subpart N and a dry mechanical polisher that Chromium uses to polish chromium-plated parts and that is subject to Subpart 6W. On August 19, 2014, EPA issued to Chromium a Finding of Violation alleging that it failed to 1) operate and maintain its hard chromium-electroplating tanks and composite mesh-pad systems equipped on these tanks in a manner consistent with good air pollution control practices; 2) either conduct an initial performance test of its composite mesh-pad systems and monitor and record the established pressure drop across the systems or monitor and record the surface tension of the tank baths; and 3) submit the Initial Notification and Notification of Compliance Status and prepare annual certification of compliance reports for its dry mechanical polisher as required by Subpart 6W. EPA discovered these violations on an inspection it conducted of the facil