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AQMD – Violation Issued to All American Asphalt in Irvine for Causing a Public Nuisance
DIAMOND BAR—The South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) today issued a Notice of Violation (NOV) to All American Asphalt (AAA), an asphalt manufacturing plant located in the City of Irvine, California, for causing odors that impacted the public.
On January 13th, South Coast AQMD received 14 odor complaints from residents living near the facility. Inspectors were dispatched to the area, and they confirmed the odors and traced them back to the facility. An on-site inspection was also conducted, and inspectors found that asphalt was being manufactured at the time of the complaints. As a result, an NOV was issued to AAA for causing a public nuisance, in violation of the agency’s Rule 402 and California Health & Safety Code Section 41700.
AAA has received five NOVs for public nuisance since September 2019. Following enforcement action by the agency, the facility repaired certain equipment, installed additional air pollution control devices, and took other steps to address odors, resulting in a significant decrease in complaints over the last year. South Coast AQMD is continuing to investigate odor issues relating to AAA, and inspectors have been regularly deployed in the community to respond to public complaints.
NOVs can result in civil penalties. If no settlement is reached, a civil lawsuit may ultimately be filed in superior court.
More information on South Coast AQMD’s ongoing activities related to AAA can be found at: http://www.aqmd.gov/home/news-events/community-investigations/all-american-asphalt.
The company has racked up several NOV’s in the past.
AAA has taken steps to alleviate the impact of odors on the surrounding community, such as making repairs to certain equipment, increasing the use of odorant in the facility’s processes, rerouting trucks carrying asphalt away from residential neighborhoods and requiring those trucks to utilize tarps. Following these changes, the number of public complaints decreased, until there was a significant increase in complaints in September 2020.
