FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                     	                ENR
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 1996                                   (202) 616-2771
							TDD (202) 514-1888
GENERAL ELECTRIC ENTERS CLEAN AIR SETTLEMENT
WITH JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND EPA

G.E.'s Own Discovery and Disclosure Results in Reduced Fine

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- General Electric Corporation will pay a $60,684
 penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations, voluntarily disclosed by the
 company, at a facility outside of Albany, New York, the United States announced today.  

The settlement, filed today in U.S. District Court in Syracuse, New York,
is an application of the Administration’s new policy, "Incentives for 
Self-Policing", under which the EPA  provides companies with a powerful 
incentive to evaluate their environmental compliance through self-audits and 
to disclose and correct any violations discovered.  It represents the Administration's 
commitment to recognize the efforts of companies that seek to actively identify and 
promptly correct violations of federal environmental law.   The penalty reflects the
 money General Electric saved by not initially installing the proper pollution 
control equipment.  The United States decided not to pursue any additional fines 
because General Electric discovered, promptly disclosed to the government and 
corrected the violations.

In a complaint filed with the settlement, the Justice Department alleged 
that General Electric violated the Clean Air Act by failing to install the proper 
pollution control equipment on two methanol storage tanks at its silicone products 
division in Waterford, New York.  Methanol fumes are a hazardous air pollutant that 
contribute to the formation of smog and can cause serious health problems.   In 
January of 1994, when General Electric recognized the violations, they promptly 
reported them to federal officials.  In addition, General Electric made the 
necessary modifications at the facility.

"I applaud General Electric for taking the initiative to comply 
with our nation's environmental laws," said Lois J. Schiffer, Assistant 
Attorney General in charge of the Environment and Natural Resources Division.  
"This case is a great example of what happens when companies examine their 
facilities, identify problems, fix them, and let the public know.  It 
illustrates this Administration's commitment to provide incentives for 
those who perform prompt and responsible environmental audits."
Steve Herman, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Enforcement 
and Compliance Assurance said, "The G.E. settlement demonstrates 
that EPA's new audit policy offers real incentives to companies that 
take the initiative to discover, disclose and correct violations."

Safeguards are built into EPA's Self-Policing Policy to ensure 
that companies do not benefit if they have behaved irresponsibly or have 
endangered public health or the environment.  The policy requires companies 
to promptly correct any harm caused by the violations and to act to prevent 
future violations.  In order for a company to be eligible for a penalty 
reduction under the policy it must satisfy a number of conditions regarding 
discovery, disclosure, and correction of violations, while taking steps to 
prevent repeat violations.  Repeated violations or those which result in actual 
harm or pose an imminent and substantial risk are not eligible for penalty
 reduction under the Self-Policing Policy.

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