COMMENT
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Policing the paint refinishing industry is a tnankless task. Few businesses have welcomed the EPA's arrival and the regulations on VOC emissions it brings for paintshops. Paint manufacturers are not escaping the flak from angry customers who falsely imagine they are partly to blame for all the fuss. It is widely believed that inspectors are thin on the ground and have a frighteningly large, some would say unmanageable, sphere of operation. The consequence of this has been open defiance from some quarters. Those choosing to turn a deaf ear to the rules are mainly at the smaller end of the scale, ignoring the compliance limits and pressing on regardless. This is a mistake.
Popular opinion says that the Environmental Protection Act is a good one. The issues it tackles are important and the authorities clearly mean business. Wilful disregard will lead to serious legal action. It has been suggested to me that the rebellious paintshops are waiting, with trepidation, for the first serious prosecution of a highprofile operator. They have good reason to do so.
Chris Graham