The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Indiana Harbor Coke Co., Cokenergy LLC and Ispat Inland Inc. on alleged clean-air violations at a heat recovery coal carbonization facility at the Ispat Inland integrated steel mill in East Chicago, Ind.
The companies have agreed to protect public health by completing a $115,000 mercury testing project at the plant. In addition, they will pay a $70,000 penalty.
The agreement resolves allegations that the companies exceeded sulfur dioxide emission limits in their state operating permit. This occurred at a time when Lake County, Ind., failed to meet national health-based outdoor air quality standard for sulfur dioxide. EPA reaches agreement with Indianapolis Casting
EPA’s Region 5 office also announced that it has reached an agreement with Indianapolis Casting Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Truck and Engine Corp., on alleged clean-air violations at the company's iron foundry in Indianapolis, Ind.
The company agreed to fund the retrofitting of 139 diesel-powered city buses with emission control devices and pay a penalty of $445,960.
The agreement resolves EPA allegations that Indianapolis Casting made major modifications to its plant significantly increasing volatile organic compound emissions without getting construction and operating permits. In addition, EPA alleged that the company did not comply with lowest achievable emission rate requirements and requirements to offset its increased emissions by making reductions elsewhere.