Arizona electronics company fined for reporting violations

The United States Environmental Protection Agency reached a $46,300 settlement with the Rockford Corporation of Tempe, Arizona for failing to submit toxic chemical reports, a violation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

Rockford Corporation failed to submit timely, complete, and correct reports detailing the amounts of lead compounds processed at its facility from 2002 through 2004. Rockford Corporation, which manufactures circuit boards for car radios, self-disclosed their violations, but failed to satisfy EPA’s Audit Policy.

“Facilities that process particularly toxic chemicals, such as lead compounds, must follow reporting rules to ensure area residents and emergency response personnel are informed of possible chemical hazards locally,” said Enrique Manzanilla, Communities and Ecosystems Division Director, for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region. “This penalty should remind others that we are maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and are serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws.”

Although the Rockford Corporation did not release lead compounds into the environment, it was required to report lead compound processing to the EPA because the facility was over the applicable reporting thresholds from 2002 through 2004. The company failed to submit reports to the agency in a timely manner for any of those years.