- NEWS
- Marine killed by deputy called disciplined, religious 57 minutes ago
- O.C. cities take a stand against water rates 6 minutes ago
- Deputy suspected of sexual acts with inmate 36 minutes ago
- Police look for victims in coach sex case 2 hours & 43 minutes ago
- SPORTS
- Sneak peek: Pujols, Wilson in video game 1 hour & 50 minutes ago
- Lin-sanity: NBA fans crazy for Jeremy Lin 1 hour & 42 minutes ago
- OCVarsity Hot Shots: Thursday’s games in pictures
- SI Swimsuit Issue cover unveiling Monday 47 minutes ago
- BUSINESS
- Hot ideas for start-up entrepreneurs
- Contract workers get help from government
- OC to get $1.1B in foreclosure deal 1 hour & 6 minutes ago
- What news may jolt real estate markets? 9 minutes ago
- ENTERTAINMENT
- LIFE
- 10 great last-minute Valentine gift ideas 1 hour & 25 minutes ago
- 10 romantic drinks for Valentine’s Day
- Art Crawl in Anaheim and 50% off Muzeo 3 hours & 45 minutes ago
- Celebrity kisses spread Valentine wishes
- TRAVEL
- OPINION
Target hit with $500,000 air-pollution fine
December 16th, 2009, 4:41 pm · 48 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, science, environment editor
Target Corp. has been fined $500,000 after being accused of selling products in its California stores that violate air-pollution rules, including portable fuel containers sold in Westminster. 
The fine, announced Wednesday by the state Air Resources Board, was imposed after enforcement officers from the state agency found that the retail chain had also sold portable generators, windshield washer fluid, liquid air fresheners and reed-diffuser air fresheners that failed to meet state regulations.
The fuel containers emitted volatile organic compounds, which contribute to smog formation, while the portable generators did not meet requirements meant to control exhaust, the agency said in its announcement.
The products were sold between 2006 and 2008.
According to the air board, Target continued selling the products even after receiving a warning of a pending enforcement action by the agency.
The case eventually was resolved with a “stipulated settlement” in October, the agency said.
Target representatives could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
(Register photo of Target store at the Brea Marketplace by Rod Veal.)
Latest posts:
Reader Comments
Comments are encouraged, but you must follow our User Agreement.- Keep it civil and stay on topic.
- No profanity, vulgarity, racial slurs or personal attacks.
- People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked.
48 Comments
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
-
-
-
16th annual People’s Choice
From your favorite restaurants and shops to the best day spa in town, here are your choices for the number one places to eat, shop and play in O.C.
Browse the 2009 Best of Orange County winners-
ADVERTISEMENT
didn’t they bribe the AQMD like WalMart does?
And we wonder why this state is considered the WORST state to do business in.
huh? what’s one got to do with the other? there are PLENTY of these types of products that meet the air quality standards just fine. so because the state won’t let you sell things that cause pollution, that means it’s a bad state for business? target seems to do just fine here, and in fact is the largest retailer in orange county. there are plenty of businesses doing business successfully today that sell products that meet the air quality standards.
The bigger point is why an air freshener can be just fine for every other state, but CA has decided they should ban it. The pollution contribution from air fresheners can’t even be measured. With all the significant problems facing this state, this is how our representatives spend their time. How about this: state legislators get paid NOTHING until they get the economy straightened out. They caused it, now they can fix it.
“The pollution contribution from air fresheners can’t even be measured.”
(and no… from your rectum is not a proper citation)
“In 2010, consumer products are projected to account for about 250 tons per day (tpd) of VOC emissions, which is about 12 percent of the total VOC emissions statewide. If consumer products had never been regulated, we calculate emissions would have exceeded 450 tons per day by 2010. Thus, ARB’s efforts have already resulted in projected emissions reductions of over 48% when the regulations are fully in effect. Even though these significant reductions have been achieved, population growth will erode some of these reductions such that consumer product emissions are projected to increase unless more is done.”
source: http://www.arb.ca.gov/consprod/geninfo/cpsmog.htm
California regulates consumer product emissions to comply with federal air quality regulations. If these federal regulations are not complied with will result in the loss of Federal Highway Transportation $$$. Instead of spouting ignorant comments why don’t you take some time to educate yourself about the air quality issues in our area. You could start with the SCAQMD Air Quality Management Plan http://www.aqmd.gov/aqmp/07aqmp/index.html
This state happens to have the worst air in the nation, too.
It is a paradise for respiratory therapists — what do you mean, bad for business? They flock here by the thousands. I just hope it isn’t you child or grandchild that they have to work on.
Lots of things contribute to smog, even hybrid cars however few that drive them would be willing to take the bus. Air fresheners and Window cleaners are pretty insignificant contributors to air quality, and I have shopped at a lot of Target stores and NEVER seen a gas powered generator on the shelf. Just more Eco-terrorism, this time mugging a company well heeled enough to ensure a X-mas bonus. They are too big a company to properly “grease” the wheels, but at least they did not have to fight the coastal commission.
Our state enforces a mandatory safety regulation and you complain it’s bad?
California IS a great state to do business in with its large population, cultural diversity, and high incomes, but we don’t put making a buck before consumer safety.
Yes, business won’t be able to continue to survive when they are taxed to death in California. Then add Obamacare, and other Federal mandates that are coming soon to your neighborhood. So now we have EPA police strolling the aisles at Target. All this results in passing the charges to the consumer in higher prices. Remember dot.gov is skimming off the top of your paycheck too. Happy New Year.
shame on you target, but i still love you. and you gotta love that new target store pictured! its the future of deparment stores, build up not out.
you think that’s a 2 story target?? HA! that would be retail-suicide to build a 2 story target/walmart/costco
Sorry to dissapoint, but there are several two story targets. I love them!
Next news headline: DEL TACO AND TACO BELL FINED $850,000 BY AQMD FOR SELLING PRODUCTS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO GREENHOUSE GAS POLLUTANTS
The AQMD today announced a settlement with Taco Bell and Del Taco corporations totaling $850,000 each in an unprecedented action by AQMD to limit greenhouse gas emissions in California. Despite continued warnings, both corporations continued to offer their refried beans on the menu for customers — a primary catalyst in the production of harmful methane gases when consumed by people.
Following the settlement, spokespersons from both corporations have remained silent (but deadly).
hahaha
This is very funny, but I fear it may come to be true one day.
LOL!
Haha! Thanks for the moring laugh!
Hey…I resemble that remark : ) There goes the neighborhood!
There go couple hundred jobs in Orange County.
kalifornia really is the state of fruits and nuts.
While I agree with the non-kool aid drinkers, who correctly define the issue as government run amok, I urge you to save some of your venom for the a**holes, AKA, your state assemblymen and state senators who are probably partying up as you and I suffer through this recession. Write those suits and let ‘em know what’s up. Cheers!
Target should close every store in the state and fire every single employee tonight! Take all the inventory to Arzona and have a fire sale!
California would be a much better place to live if we let companies pollute.
and could you explain how?
This will go a long way to bring new businesses to California an out of control policy board with ridiculous rules that don’t apply in 49 other states.
I wonder if Target pulled all of their stores out of California what it would cost the state in sales tax.
THIS STATE IS GOVERNED BY MORONS!!!
I just want to say I love the way all of you are responding to this. I think you all have valid points! Gives me hope that America still is America! Hoorah!
You are kidding me; right? Wiper fluid?!?!? Air fresheners?!?!? Half a MILLION dollars?!?!?
Their emissions are REGULATED????? Who knew? Ridiculous.
Talk about justifying one’s existence.
BTW: Dogma….that was good. You beat me to it.
of course there broke money hungry….
Why the hell do we allow the state to tell us what we can and can’t buy? We are $20 BILLION in the hole, being over run with illegals, rising crime, taxes, suffering schools, companies leaving the state, yet we have time to issue tickets and fines to large companies such as this for selling air freshners? I’m counting the days until I move to a sane state.
San Clemente is going to sell them a bunch of prime property, just perfect for the village by the sea (village idiots).
I got the topper of all toppers. I have been involved with construction for some 30+ years. The City of Los Angeles building department has a division that does nothing but give approval numbers to products that touch potable water. So for any company to sell and or install there products in the city of LA they have to Pay LA for an approval number, (in most cases passed on to the manufacturer) I am talking about toilets, faucets, refrigerators with Ice Machines, Garden Hose sprayers everything, dish washers, washing machines everything. The rule of thumb is if potable water goes through it, it has to have a M number. These approvals can cost tens of thousands of dollars to get, and it does not matter if a product already has NSF or Canadian approvals.
So what? I don’t want to drink dirty water.
Really, so you drink out of a toilet?
Yeah I know firsthand about City of LA. I was consulting for a dentist and he had to spend an extra $1,200 to the city for field testing clearance on a cabinet he bought because it had the capability of plumbing, even though he was using self contained water.
The manufacturer had already paid the City big bucks to get the cabinet approved but the different colors were assigned different model numbers, And because the city’s palms were not greased for that exact model number they wanted their money.
I’m not surprised…doesn’t the City of New York pull this same crap? I have seen lots of products that have some type of ID related to product approval by the City of NY.
My local K***** auto parts was fined $3,000+ by the city of Laguna Hills, for helping a woman change out her battery in her car. These are nice guys just helping out a damsel in distress. Now they are so frustrated they won’t help find a boy scout to help an old woman across the street. California is such a mess in which to do business. Too bad there isn’t 14% unemployment in the public sector.
You know I knew it felt cooler lately, but I didn’t know why. Now that the eco-terrorists have fined another job-producing business and taken the global-warmth inducing windshield cleaner off the shelves I bet the planet survives another year at least! Thank you AQMD, we really dodged a bullet on that one… What would we do without you???
Unbelievable. Windhshield wash and jerry cans. You guys can have California..it seems the ECO Whackos (read Enviro Socialists cum NAzi’S), that many of you are, have taken control.
I can understand and appreciate the need to reduce smog/vehicle pollution. no question. But this is way over the top and in my eyes nothing but a cash grab by a $$ starved government.
As an Aside, I’m from Alberta. And increasingly we hear about certain elements in the US (Left wing), bitchin about our Oil sands/emissions. No problem. We just wont sell it to you. There’s 1.7Billion Chinese all wanting their buicks too and they need fuel. You can go to the middle east and steal it there.
Best solution I can offer for all Californians is to work closer to home, shop closer to home and ride bicycles
Soon to come, if not already there, C02 taxes (every breath you take).!
Have fun. I’ll take my northen winters anytime over stupidity.
cheers
The worst part of this is the corruption that will or probably is already occurring. Selective hunting down of stores, businesses, etc. If you “fall in line” (support the right candidates, or right group, or lower your prices for the “poor” – redistribution of wealth) then you won’t get busted. This is nothing more than extortion and a tax and total control. Our government is a gangster. Enough is enough! Make sure you don’t vote for Jerry Brown for governor. He loves cap & trade. He is wringing his hands with the money he can take from us!
AQMD is just another do nothing, anti-business govermental organization. Want to read something interesting? Read Sir Francis Drakes account of the So Cal area. First thing he noticed was all the smog. And that was hundreds of years ago! I’m a native Californian and I love watching this state collapse in upon itself….this is just another humorous example of how far California has sunk…..
This is sad,Target built an EPA energy star state of the art store in Yorba Linda that cost them millions.Suckers.Orange County is ripe for easy money from a once again broke Sacramento.
All products sold in California are being swept up into AQMD vortex, no matter how much they might pollute. If it takes a million dollars of research and bureaucracy to cut pollution by .0002%, why not? It is only the tax payers money. The AQMD approved gas cans are a joke. The AQMD approved Gerry can, that are mounted on a Jeep or a truck, does not have a nozzle that fits in a Jeep or truck’s AQMD approved filler. Yes, you can buy a State approved can, and mount it on your vehicle, but the pollution reducing nozzle does not fit in the truck’s filler. Genius! But, hey this only impacts a few thousand people and their voices will never be heard by the AQMD.
Can anyone tell me who’s pocket the $500,000.00 goes to?
If the environementalists are correct about the air pollution issues then I should get a portion of this to cover my medical costs when confronted with bronchitis, or asthma, or sinus issues.
HANG ON!!!! I HAVE TO FART !!!! OH, I’m going to get fined by the EPA!!! to much emissions coming out of my tailpipe!! LMAO!!!
Like most government agencies the AQMD does not produce anything of value and therefore must fine businesses to fund itself. If people only knew the truth of how unimaginable most of what these agencies do and how much they cost the taxpayer they would cry. Do you think Target pays this fine or raises prices and passes it on to you? Cows contribute more greenhouse gases than humans but cows have no money. Wake up people. Did you read about all the private jets and limos at the U.N. climate conference- hypocrites.
Target collects fines like a dog collects fleas. I will post this article on my blog along with a lot of other Target Sucks type info. Take a look if you have a few minutes to spare.
http://www.targetfiling.blogspot.com This is the blog that Tarbutt sued for 23 months to try to close down. Case was tossed out last year.
Why is this story only on this site? I have found nothing about this on any other “credible” news site. I call BOGUS. You people have been fooled.
You people scare me.. will you stop at nothing to destroy freedom in the name of your twisted secular religion? Global warming is a lie, and your gonna die anyway, so who cares about air quality anyway, just get it over with. Go kill yourself and do the world a favor by not living.. afterall you polute it every time you breathe. Co2 can kill if you breath it in.. so go on and kill yourself before our prescious children breath your foul bad breath and die sooner because its not pure O2. You green people are truely stupid and evil. I hope you die of lung cancer tomarrow.