DEP Fines Sherwin-Williams $124,700 For Air Pollution Violations At Beaver County Plant

On August 10, the Department of Environmental Protection announced it has entered into a Consent Order and Agreement (COA) with The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company to resolve violations of Pennsylvania’s Air Pollution Control Act and the associated regulations at the company’s Sherwin-Williams Rochester Plant(opens in a new tab) at 372 Cleveland St., Rochester Borough, Beaver County.

Sherwin-Williams will pay a total $124,700 civil penalty within 30 days of receiving the fully executed consent order.

The consent order addresses violations related to:

-- Failure to install and operate air cleaning devices in a timely manner.

-- Air contaminant source construction/installation without proper plan approval.

-- Missed required startup notifications.

-- Failure to perform required monitoring and recordkeeping under permit and plan approval conditions.

-- Issues tied to required control equipment startup timelines and stack testing.

“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,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Our enforcement actions will protect Pennsylvania air quality by ensuring the facility follows permit requirements, monitoring rules, and timely operation of emission control equipment. This consent order requires Sherwin-Williams to return to full compliance and complete critical control upgrades and performance testing.”

In addition to the $124,700 civil penalty, the COA establishes stipulated penalties for future violations, Sherwin-Williams will be fined $1,000 per day per violation for failing to meet any of the COA deadlines, including the deadlines to install and operate the Thermal Oxidizer and South Tank Truck Area Carbon Adsorber.

The COA remains in effect until DEP determines that Sherwin-Williams has completed all required corrective actions and paid all required penalties. The COA remains in effect until DEP determines that Sherwin-Williams has completed all required corrective actions and paid all required penalties.

Click Here for a copy of the COA.

For more information on environmental programs in Pennsylvania, visit DEP’s website.  Submit Environmental Complaints; Click Here to sign up for DEP’s newsletter; sign up for DEP’s eNotice; Like DEP on Facebook, Follow DEP on Twitter and visit DEP’s YouTube Channel.

(Photo: WPXI News.)

NewsClips:

-- Post-Gazette: Sherwin-Williams Fined By State, Must Make Changes At Beaver County Plant Over Air Quality Violations

-- Beaver Times: Sherwin-Williams Plant Reaches Agreement With DEP On Odor Complaints

-- WPXI: Beaver County Residents Concerned By Smell Coming From Sherwin-Williams Plant In Beaver County [March 2026]

Resource Links - Shell Petrochemical Plant:

-- Beaver County Residents Tell DEP To Enforce Existing Shell Petrochemical Plant Air Pollution Limits, Not Give Them A New Permit Increasing Pollution  [PaEN - 2026]

--  FracTracker Alliance: Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County Released 17.9 Billion Pounds Of Air Pollution Since It Began Operation, During 80 Malfunctions, 43 Violation Episodes  [PaEN - 2025]

--  DEP: Shell Petrochemical Plant Fire Resulted In Possible Release Of An Unknown Quantity Of 1,3-Butadiene And Benzene Into The Atmosphere In Beaver County  [PaEN - 2025]

--  Environmental Groups File Notice Of Intent To Sue The Shell Petrochemical Plant In Beaver County For Air Pollution Violations: Similar Action In 2023 Resulted In $10 Million Settlement [PaEN - 2024]

[Posted: August 11, 2026]  PA Environment Digest