Hixson Metal Finishing May Get State Order to Cut Toxic Emissions of Known Carcinogen

A Newport Beach chrome plating and anodizing company for the aerospace industry may receive a state order to reduce toxic emissions.

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Hixson Metal Finishing has tried to reduce emissions of known carcinogen hexavalent chromium but more must be done and must be done quickly, according to South Coast Air Quality Management District officials.

The district is asking its independent board to order Hixson to reduce emissions, South Coast AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood told City News Service, adding that monitoring of the compound coming from the company's plant at 817-853 Production Place has been ongoing for several years.


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That's mostly a light-industrial area although there is a mobile home park on the other side of Placentia Avenue from one end of Production Place.

Hixson President Douglas C. Greene says he's not sure if the plant is the sole source of the emissions, but the company wishes to cooperate with the AQMD anyway.

“We've been actually working with AQMD to find the source of these emissions in the neighborhood for quite some time,” he told City News Service. “It's one of those issues
that's fairly perplexing.”

Greene conceded Hixson is likely the sole source of the emissions, adding “several hundreds of thousands of dollars” have been spent over the years on upgrades suggested by the agency.

“We're on the same team as them. If they have an issue we have an issue,” Greene said. “We recognize and understand they have a serious job to do and we support that.”

According to the company's website, Hixson “is a premier metal finishing company serving the aerospace industry and other customers who manufacture high precision quality products.”

The company has been approved to do work “in a myriad of processes and specifications” for “virtually all the major aerospace companies,” and its repair processes have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program.

Email: mc****@oc******.com. Twitter: @MatthewTCoker. Follow OC Weekly on Twitter @ocweekly or on Facebook!

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