Sherwin-Williams Ordered to Address Air-Pollution Violations at NY Plant

Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection has ordered Sherwin-Williams to address air-pollution violations at its Rochester plant in New York, following complaints from residents living nearby. The residents described strong odors around their homes as smelling like 'pure chemicals' and nail polish remover.

The consent order, entered into by the DEP and Sherwin-Williams, requires the company to pay $124,700 in civil penalties within 30 days. This is in addition to resolving issues related to a missing thermal oxidizer, which is an emissions-control device designed to destroy VOCs.

The DEP had previously issued a violation to the plant in January for failing to install the thermal oxidizer. Residents have reported that their air purifiers constantly show 'red' on air-quality readings due to the strong odors.