Campbell Soup Fined For Volatile Emissions

The EPA and Dept. of Justice have announced that Campbell Soup Co. has agreed to pay a $1.2 million penalty to settle Clean Air Act violations at the firm's Sacramento can manufacturing facility -- a plant that was purchased by Silgan Can Co. in June. The penalty is the second largest ever obtained by the EPA in California under the Clean Air Act. The EPA filed an enforcement action against Campbell in October 1995. In the action the EPA alleged that Campbell modified its three-piece can lines without obtaining the required permits. Campbell also failed to install required pollution control equipment, and failed to provide offsets for its emission increases of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the facility. Silgan intends to replace the three-piece can lines with a cleaner, two-piece can line once it can obtain the permits and construct the new equipment. During the can manufacturing process, coatings and end compounds are applied to the cans, causing emissions of VOCs. Also as part of the settlement, Campbell is required to donate up to 32.7 tons of emissions credits, worth approximately $588,600, to Environmental Resources Trust Inc., which was established by the Environmental Defense Fund to hold air emission credits for the benefit of the environment.