Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

BOSTON -- Senesco Marine, which operates a shipbuilding and ship repair facility in North Kingstown, will pay a $224,000 penalty to resolve EPA claims that the company violated both federal and state clean air regulations, according to a news release issued Friday.

According to the EPA news release, Senesco constructed its facility on Narragansett Bay without first applying for and obtaining a "new source review" permit to regulate emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Senesco also violated "Title V" operating permit requirements under the federal Clean Air Act by failing to apply for a Title V permit despite having potential xylene emissions greater than 10 tons per year, the EPA said.

Many of the chemicals used by Senesco are both hazardous air pollutants as well as volatile organic compounds, which can cause a variety of health problems, the EPA said. Volatile organic compounds also contribute to the formation of ozone, which, when inhaled, can damage lung tissue and reduce lung function. Children, the elderly, people with lung disease, and people with asthma are most susceptible.

Senesco also violated the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Facilities by failing to keep required records of paint use, and failing to submit notifications and reports to state and federal officials, according to the EPA.

Senesco builds double-hulled petroleum barges and tug boats and conducts ship repairs on a six-acre yard, a floating dry dock, and a 1,200 foot pier.

To address the violations identified by the EPA, Senesco has submitted a plan to the EPA and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management outlining how it will comply with the NESHAP. Senesco has since obtained its new source review permit from and submitted a Title V permit application to the DEM.

 Tags  North Kingstown RI Senesco Marine

Comments

bayrider said:

Storm drain /runoff

Has there been any follow up to the runoff of these toxins, chemicals, and other materials.
Quonset has no storm drain filtering in place at all.

Link | October 9, 2009 3:03 PM
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Liberal Democrat said:

Great, I shell out for low VOC paint, and I live next to Quonset where these clowns spew this stuff out.

Following in the great tradition of the Navy polluting the hell out of the area.

Link | October 9, 2009 7:47 PM
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Travis Bickle said:

Just what we need in the great Obama-Biden Depression - a bunch of enviro-wacko's killing even more jobs because of some mystery plague that no one can even see, and no one was complaining about!

Link | October 10, 2009 12:11 AM
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