Ornament firm makes changes to comply with EPA regulations

LINCOLN – A Lincoln-based metals etching company has made changes in its manufacturing equipment and operations to comply with federal clean air and hazardous waste laws and settle claims of violations by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

ChemArt Company, located at 11 New England Way, is spending $25,000 to reduce the amount of chlorine it stores at its facility and to install safety and alarm features. The changes will reduce the likelihood of a chlorine release and will minimize damage that could result from a potential release.

According to an agreement signed recently with the New England office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ChemArt will also pay a $221,326 penalty for its violations of the Clean Air Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

“ChemArt fully cooperated with EPA during this action, promptly corrected all of the violations and has agreed to stay in compliance with federal hazardous waste laws,” an EPA spokesman said Wednesday.

The case stems from a January 2015 inspection of the company during which EPAinspectors found that ChemArt - which designs and manufactures the White House Christmas Ornament - had violated a number of requirements for chemical risk management planning and for handling hazardous wastes. Compliance with requirements for chemical risk manage- ment planning and hazardous waste management help to prevent releases of extremely hazardous substances (such as chlorine gas); help a facility and emergency responders prepare for any chemical releases that might occur; and results in better protection of the health and safety of employees, local residents, and the environment.

ChemArt’s manufacturing process uses ferric chloride in automatic machines that etch on metal. The plant stores liquefied chlorine gas in four 2,000-pound cylinders. The chlorine is piped from there to the etching machines.

Chlorine, considered an extremely hazardous substance under the Clean Air Act, is a potent irritant to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and lungs. Long-term exposure to chlorine gas in workers has resulted in respiratory effects, including eye and throat irritation and airflow obstruction. Exposure to higher levels of chlorine can result in mucous membrane irritation, chest pain, vomiting, toxic pneumonitis and pulmonary edema.

As part of the settlement with the EPA, ChemArt will reduce its chlorine storage from 8,000 pounds to about 2,450 pounds. It will also install a three-cylinder manifold system to replace one of the two one-ton vessel distribution lines it now uses and it will replumb the entire chlorine piping system that feeds the etchers.

Finally, it will use a vacuum system along the chlorine line to minimize any potential leakage and will install an automatic alarm and shut down system connected to the chlorine source.

The reduction in the amount of chlorine stored at ChemArt will mean that the facility is no longer subject to the specific risk management planning regulations of the Clean Air Act. However, the plant will still be subject to the Clean Air Act’s general duty clause, a more general standard of care that applies to facilities that handle extremely hazardous substances.

Earlier this year, ChemArt announced the rebranding of its ornaments and keepsakes branch as Beacon Design. Beacon Design produces more than two million ornaments each year at its facility in the New England Way industrial park.