The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has slapped FormFactor Inc. with a hefty fine for skirting federal clean air laws. The Livermore, California-based company, known for its nickel-plating operations, agreed to fork over $258,170 after the EPA found it had breached the Clean Air Act, the agency announced. The settlement arrives following inspections and findings that FormFactor had been playing fast and loose with record-keeping requirements, a crucial aspect of ensuring facilities don't spew hazardous toxins into the air.

According to the EPA's news release, the regulatory body's Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, Martha Guzman, hammered the point home: "FormFactor’s failure to provide notice, properly document and keep records of emission controls means regulators like the EPA and the public lacked critical information about the Livermore facility’s ability to operate safely." The agency maintains that such oversight is not just a bureaucratic hoop to jump through. It's a safeguard for public health and environmental sanctity.

It all started when the EPA inspectors made a visit to FormFactor on June 9, 2021, but the issues date back even further. From 2017 to 2020, the electronics firm didn’t hold up its end of the bargain under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) by failing to keep and submit necessary compliance certification documentation. This paperwork is supposed to confirm that facilities like FormFactor are up to date, as described by the EPA's stringent standards.

The NESHAP is designed to rein in the release of hazardous air pollutants—the nasty stuff that can lead to cancer, reproductive issues, birth defects, and broad environmental harm. The EPA's ruling sends a clear message: companies can't ignore their ecological responsibilities. As part of the settlement, FormFactor has now certified that it’s back in line, working within the legal bounds of the Clean Air Act.