July 25, 2006 - AlCuMet Inc., a foundry in Londonderry, NH, agreed to settle federal and state pollution and clean-air violations by paying a $42,000 civil penalty, according to local reports. The New Hampshire Dept. of Environmental Services cited AlCuMet for using beryllium in its casting operations from 1995 through 2003, without a required state permit.

A New Hampshire court approved the settlement last week.

The violations were discovered during an inspection in 1999. AlCuMet also was cited for failing to test for beryllium emissions (a hazardous air pollutant, or HAP) until after it was ordered to conduct stack tests in 2002. Federal regulations require manufacturers using beryllium to conduct stack emissions testing within 90 days of startup, and New Hampshire law requires that the operations also obtain an air permit.

AlCuMet also uses HAPs (e.g., lead, nickel, manganese, and chromium) which, according to New Hampshire, require operations to comply with ambient air standards. Emissions testing at AlCuMet in 2002 indicated that foundry did not exceed state or federal standards, but the delay in testing made it impossible for New Hampshire to monitor the operation effectively.

The agreement credits $10,000 to AlCuMet for installing air-pollution controls that will reduce toxic emissions beyond state and federal requirements.