Smurfit-Stone Container Corrects Clean-Air Violations

Chicago, Illinois, USA, 15 March 2007 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Justice, and the State of Illinois have reached an agreement with Smurfit-Stone Container Enterprises Inc. on alleged clean-air violations at a printing plant formerly owned by the company at 1228 E. Tower Road, in Schaumburg, Illinois.

The agreement resolves a complaint filed in November alleging Smurfit failed to control smog-producing volatile organic compound emissions from its printing lines and failed to meet state VOC emission credit requirements. The company agreed to pay penalties totaling USD 325,000; split equally between EPA and the state of Illinois.

Smurfit has installed a thermal oxidizer to destroy VOC emissions from the plant and has demonstrated compliance through testing. It has also met its state VOC emission credit requirements.

Schaumburg is in the Chicago metropolitan area, which fails to meet national outdoor air quality standards for ground-level ozone (smog). Smog is formed when a mixture of air pollutants is baked in the summer sun. Smog can cause a variety of respiratory problems, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and chest pain. People with asthma, children and the elderly are especially at risk, but these health concerns are important to everyone.

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5