Sherwin-Williams has agreed to pay a $124,700 fine and will be required to make a series of changes at its facility in Beaver County [Pennsylvania] to address a series of air quality violations at the Rochester Borough plant.

The paint and supplies manufacturer entered into an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protections on Monday to resolve years of violations dating back to at least 2022.

Since then, the DEP has cited Sherwin-Williams for failing to install and operate air cleaning devices, installing or constructing air contaminant sources without approval, and failure to perform monitoring and record keeping.

In January, the DEP issued a violation against the company for failing to install a thermal oxidizer, a device that destroys harmful pollutants by using combustion to turn them into carbon dioxide and water.

The company was cited again in late March for failing to install the device.

As part of the agreement, Sherwin-Williams will be required to install a thermal oxidizer by the end of October.

The manufacturer will be fined an additional $1,000 per day for failing the meet any of the deadlines set out in the agreement.

“Protecting Pennsylvanians’ air, land, and water is our top priority, and this agreement holds Sherwin-Williams accountable for previous violations and sets strict penalties for any future violations,” DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley said in Monday’s announcement.

The company did not immediately respond to request for comment on the agreement with the DEP.

The agreement comes after residents in the area have been complaining about strong chemical odors emanating from the plant.

In May, a federal lawsuit was filed against Sherwin-Williams alleging that the company had failed to address the violations that the DEP found.

The attorneys representing two Rochester residents named as plaintiffs in the lawsuit said 45 households have reached out with documentation of the plant's noxious odors, according to the complaint.

“It smells so bad you can taste it,” borough resident Christina Modrovich is quoted as saying in the lawsuit.

Another resident claimed he is considering moving due to the smell, which he also said he could taste, while others claimed to have gotten sick from the chemical odors.

“I can’t even open my window [because] the smell comes in the house,” resident Mary Birtalaw was quoted as saying in the complaint.

In a response filed in court in July, Sherwin-Williams denied the allegations in the lawsuit, which remains ongoing.

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