Pure Wafer, Inc. has agreed to pay $120,000 in civil penalties for not having an air quality permit at its Prescott facility according to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality officials.
During an inspection of the Pure Wafer facility, ADEQ staff observed an emission from the onsite stack, which was determined to be hydrogen fluoride. The inspection also revealed that the facility did not have an air quality permit. Pure Wafer acquired the facility but did not obtain a permit before or after the purchase.
Since the inspection, Pure Wafer has applied for a permit, which was issued on January 2, 2013. In addition to identifying air pollution emissions limitations, the permit contains the necessary monitoring, record keeping and reporting requirements for the facility.
“Permits are important to ensure that air pollution equipment is installed and functioning properly,” said ADEQ Director Henry Darwin. “Pure Wafer worked quickly and cooperatively with us to obtain a permit after receiving the notice of the violation.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lists hydrogen fluoride as a hazardous air pollutant. Acute inhalation exposure can cause severe respiratory damage and pulmonary edema.
Pure Wafer, whose headquarters are in the United Kingdom, prepares reclaimed silicon test wafers for the semiconductor industry. It operates manufacturing facilities in Prescott and Swansea, South Wales.
The consent judgment is subject to court approval.