A Richmond factory that turns gypsum into drywall has been fined $188,500 after its dust escaped onto neighboring properties and public streets, the Bay Area Air District announced this week.

The penalty against Gold Bond Building Products, whose wallboard plant sits at 1040 Canal Boulevard, settles 13 notices of violation, according to the Air District. The violations involved equipment operating without the required permits and fine mineral dust that inspectors found had traveled beyond the plant.

"Dust from the Gold Bond plant has drifted well past its property line, into the neighborhoods and businesses nearby," Air District Executive Officer Philip Fine said in the agency's announcement. "Neighbors should not bear the pollution of the business next door."

What the company has to fix

Beyond the fine, the settlement requires physical changes at the plant. The biggest is a permanent enclosure around its outdoor gypsum pile, due by Dec. 31, 2027. Gold Bond also has to:

  • upgrade the equipment that captures dust inside the plant,
  • tighten controls where gypsum is loaded, handled and processed,
  • clean trucks and other vehicles before they leave so they don't track material into the community,
  • step up inspections, maintenance, monitoring and employee training, and
  • promptly investigate reports of gypsum reaching nearby homes or businesses.

The Air District said it will also require expanded recordkeeping so inspectors can confirm the plant stays in compliance.

Why it matters

Wallboard plants move large volumes of crushed gypsum rock and fine powder, and the Air District said they depend on enclosures, filters and strict procedures to keep that material out of the air. When those controls fail, the dust adds to the fine particle pollution people breathe. The San Francisco Chronicle noted the surrounding community has long dealt with polluted air.

The plant is also a short distance from a proposed 76-home development on a former quarry site at 1135 Canal Boulevard, the Grandview Independent reported.

The Air District said money from the penalty will go to local and regional projects that improve air quality and public health under its community benefits policy.