CARB Slaps Mothers Polishes and CRC Industries with High-Dollar Fines
Two companies operating within the auto aftermarket recently received sizable fines from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Mothers Polishes, Waxes, Cleaners Inc. incurred a fine of $111,242, while CRC Industries was penalized $625,000. The violations were discovered during routine inspections by CARB, according to the regulatory agency.
It was the first time Mothers Polishes received a CARB violation. The Huntington Beach, California company was cited for CARB tests that showed concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exceeding the allowed limit in three products: Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish, Mothers Billet Metal Polish and Mothers California Gold Metal Polish. The company remodified those products to comply with CARB’s guidelines, according to a company official who declined an interview request by THE SHOP.
Half of Mothers’ fine will go to California’s Air Pollution Control Fund, with the other half funding interns who host hands-on science activities for community members visiting the California Science Center Foundation, according to CARB.
“Many common household products, such as cleaners and metal polishes, contain compounds that contribute to unhealthy smog. It’s important that retailers only stock and sell products that adhere to CARB regulations limiting the amount of these compounds,” said Todd Sax, chief of the CARB enforcement division.
Horsham Township, Pennsylvania-based CRC Industries was fined for two products-CRC Lecta-Clean and CRC Lecta-Motive-that contained a toxic air contaminant named perchloroethylene, which is prohibited in the product category for which CRC was using it, according to CARB. CRC modified the Lectra-Clean product to conform to the state’s regulation and agreed not to sell Lectra-Motive in California. THE SHOP failed to reach CRC officials for comment after several attempts.
CRC’s fine included $325,528 paid to the Air Pollution Control Fund and $299,472 that went to the El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center in Eastern Coachella Valley to fund outreach on respiratory health to local communities that targets low-income families and families with children.
CARB considers CRC as a “good actor, going above and beyond with corrective actions,” according to a news release.
CARB enforcement staff regularly purchase samples of cleaning and other consumer products from retail shelves and test them in the CARB lab to determine if the products comply with air quality regulations.
