Container Glass Manufacturer Agrees to Install Pollution Control Equipment

Saint-Gobain Containers, based in Muncie, Ind., has reached a settlement with the federal government over Clean Air Act issues. The agreement includes installing around $112 million in air pollution control equipment.

The equipment will be placed at all 15 of the company’s facilities in 12 states, including two which have been closed by the company.

As part of the settlement, Saint-Gobain has agreed to pay a $2.25 million civil penalty to resolve its alleged violations of the Clean Air Act’s new source review regulations. Nationwide, Saint-Gobain's installation of the pollution control equipment is expected to reduce emissions of nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide and particulate matter by about 6,000 tons per year.

In the complaint filed concurrently with the settlement, the federal government and the 10 state and two local government plaintiffs alleged that Saint-Gobain constructed new glass furnaces or modified existing ones over the course of two decades without first obtaining pre-construction permits and without installing required pollution control equipment.

The alleged violations were discovered as a result of an EPA (Environmental Protection Association) investigation that included inspections, file reviews, information requests, and the review and analysis of data obtained from the company. The Clean Air Act requires major sources of air pollution to obtain such permits before making changes that would result in a significant increase in emissions of any pollutant.