Update 5:45 p.m. Jan. 3: This story has been updated with additional information from DEQ.
State regulators are proposing that a Botetourt County automotive parts manufacturer pay a civil charge of $227,790 after they say the company released too much hydrochloric acid into the air over a period of several years.
Under the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s proposed consent order, Dynax America Corp. also would have to submit a plan by June 1 explaining how it will bring its factory in the county’s EastPark Commerce Center into compliance with required emissions limits.
Dynax America, a subsidiary of a Japanese firm, opened its Botetourt County plant in 1995 and makes transmission parts. It’s one of the county’s larger employers, with between 250 and 499 employees, according to the county’s 2023 financial report.
The DEQ is accepting public comments on its proposal until Jan. 28. If finalized, the civil charge would be among the larger amounts that the DEQ has levied in recent years.
In the proposed order, DEQ said its staff evaluated the Dynax plant multiple times between 2019 and 2022 and found that its hydrochloric acid air emissions exceeded allowed maximums.
Among other findings, a March 2022 evaluation showed that one of the plant’s lines had hydrochloric acid emissions between 3.52 tons and 6.35 tons per month since 2019, but that line’s allowed limit was 1.1 tons per year, according to the DEQ.
DEQ noted that during that time, “Dynax has continuously worked towards achieving compliance through process changes, equipment replacement and upgrades, adding an additional scrubber, and hiring of outside consultants to assist in finding a solution.”
In spring 2022, Dynax applied to reduce its emissions requirements, and the compliance process was put on hold while DEQ reviewed the request, DEQ spokesperson Julia Raimondi said in an email. The agency ultimately denied Dynax’s application and resumed discussions about compliance.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies hydrochloric acid as an air pollutant, and the Virginia Department of Health says too much of it in the air can cause irritation or difficulty breathing.
Raimondi said the agency is not aware of any adverse impacts to the community as a result of the emissions described in the consent order.
“DEQ air permit emission limits are calculated based on very conservative assumptions to ensure the protection of human health and the environment,” Raimondi said.
A Dynax executive named on the consent order as representing the company could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
In 2019, the DEQ ordered Dynax to pay a civil charge of $168,204 for similar reasons.
