Neville Chemical Co. has been fined $160,000 for failing to inspect and maintain 11 above-ground storage tanks on Neville Island.

The fine stems from the company's failure to meet deadlines established in a July 2000 consent order and agreement with the state Department of Environmental Protection to inspect and maintain its tanks.

"That failure potentially put Pennsylvania waterways at risk of pollution, and it put emphasis on Neville's record of poor performance, for which the company must again pay a price," DEP Southwest Regional Director Kenneth Bowman said.

In signing the consent order and agreement, Neville Chemical paid a $50,000 fine and agreed to a schedule to inspect, upgrade and maintain out-of-service tanks used to store coal tar products and hydrocarbon resins the company produces. Those products are used to produce inks, adhesives, coatings, paints and rubber products, said Jack Ferguson, company vice president of manufacturing.

The DEP said Neville Chemical let the deadline lapse without fixing and painting large tanks -- each holding 100,000 to more than 2 million gallons -- and preventing corrosion and deterioration.

Mr. Ferguson acknowledged that the company missed the 2002 deadline, but said the company now is compliant.

"There never was any point in time when the tanks were in deteriorated condition or anything unsafe was going on," he said.

The company delayed the process to focus attention on more immediate environmental issues, he said, describing the violations as technical rather than ones posing environmental risks.

DEP spokeswoman Helen Humphreys said the company complied with regulations only after the agency took repeated actions.

Mr. Ferguson said the company negotiated the $160,000 fine with the DEP to resolve outstanding issues related to the 2000 consent order, rather than face daily penalties for noncompliance, and to eliminate the need to take the matter to court.

"This certainly is a big hit to the economics of the facility," he said. "But hopefully, we've put the issue behind us."