A top paints, coatings, and specialty materials company has been found guilty of breaching volatile organic compound regulations in the state of California. According to the California air resources board (CARB), a settlement agreement in fines of $299,000 was reached with the company.

An investigation team, led by CARB officials, revealed that non-aerosol paint thinners and clear coating aerosol products were found to be violating VOC rules, manufactured for sale in California. The paint thinner products contained levels of  VOCs and aromatic compounds that were well above limits specified by CARB. In the case of aerosol coating products, the reactivity limit of the product exceeded the threshold limit for a clear coating product category.

The excess VOC resulted in surplus emissions of 5.42 tons, 15.15 tons excess from aromatic compounds. 2.98 tons of excess ozone formed due to the emissions. To come into compliance, the coatings company terminated the sale of the non-compliant products to concur with the state’s air quality regulations.

Reference: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/ppg-industries-inc-settlement