EPA Press Office:

City of Lynnwood pays $550,259 penalty for federal Clean Air Act violations

Seattle (January 31, 2024) - The United States Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the City of Lynnwood, Washington agreed to pay a penalty of $550,259 for violating the Clean Air Act at its wastewater treatment plant on 76^th Avenue West.

Performance test results conducted by the city showed that, starting in 2020, the city’s sewage sludge incinerator was intermittently exceeding emission limits for particulate matter, carbon monoxide and hydrogen chloride, a hazardous air pollutant. EPA found that Lynnwood failed to adhere to federal requirements for conducting the source tests.

“The City of Lynnwood’s decision to use incineration to manage its domestic sewage sludge came with the responsibility to adhere strictly to the rules designed to reduce air pollutants and protect people’s health,” said Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA’s Region 10 Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “The city failed to meet that responsibility, committing significant Clean Air Act violations and earning significant penalties.”

EPA also found that the city failed to meet requirements for operating the incinerator, such as the requirement to run the incinerator at the proper temperature or maintain a specific minimum pH. These failures reduced the effectiveness of pollution reduction devices.

EPA’s penalty order follows its 2023 compliance order directing Lynnwood to come into compliance with Clean Air Act requirements by no later than May 31, 2024.

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