Oxnard Firm to Pay Fine for Pollution Violations

An Oxnard foam manufacturer has agreed to pay a $152,000 fine for federal environmental law violations and to ensure that its emission-reduction equipment is working properly, officials announced Thursday.

Diversified Panel Systems Inc., which manufactures polystyrene insulation for residential and commercial construction, has agreed to the terms of a consent decree filed by the U.S. Justice Department on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, officials said.

The company was first cited by the county in February 2001 for operating without an emissions permit, said Keith Duval, manager of the pollution control district’s compliance division. The company failed to install the necessary equipment to reduce emissions, he said.

The terms of the federal consent decree will take effect at the end of a 30-day public comment period. Diversified, which has since installed the proper emissions equipment at its plant and received a temporary operating permit, must then allow testing to ensure it meets all environmental regulations before being issued a regular operating permit, Duval said.