EPA 2007 enforcement reduces pollution in Indiana

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 enforcement actions in Indiana in 2007 will reduce pollution by more than 36 million pounds and result in regulated entities spending more than $1.8 billion on pollution controls to correct past environmental violations and help prevent future ones.

In the past fiscal year, EPA resolved 46 actions against regulated entities in Indiana and assessed a total of more than $3.2 million in civil penalties for various air, water, hazardous waste, pesticide and community right-to-know violations. As part of settlement agreements, Indiana regulated entities agreed to do supplemental environmental projects worth almost $2.2 million.

“EPA regional enforcement actions in the last year will result in real health and environmental benefits,” said Regional Administrator Mary A. Gade. “EPA believes in firm and fair enforcement and working with our partners at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to ensure cleaner air, water and land for the people of Indiana.”

Among the most notable environmental actions in Indiana were:

* A federal-state settlement with the city of Indianapolis to resolve Clean Water Act violations concerning combined sewer overflows and sanitary sewer overflows. The agreement requires the city to undertake extensive sewer improvements over the next 20 years to eliminate more than 7.2 billion gallons of annual raw sewage discharges to area waterways. Implementation of the agreement will reduce untreated sewage discharges from about 60 per year to four in most areas of the city and to two in the Fall Creek watershed.
* EPA reached an agreement with Tate and Lyle resolving EPA allegations that the company failed to apply for the proper permits when it modified several corn byproduct dryers at its Lafayette South Plant. Tate and Lyle agreed to pay a $188,100 penalty and to follow an EPA order requiring the company to apply for a state permit to incorporate best available emission control technology for volatile organic compounds and carbon monoxide. These actions are estimated to reduce VOC emissions by 1.4 million pounds per year and CO emissions by 423,108 pounds per year.
* As part of a global settlement with Rhodia Inc. involving eight sulfuric acid production plants, the company agreed to install state-of-the-art pollution control equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide from its Hammond plant by 1,357 tons per year. The estimated cost of emission controls is more than $1.4 million. Rhodia paid a civil penalty of $66,666 to the state and $266,666 to the city of Hammond.


EPA Region 5 coordinates with state environmental agencies in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin to enforce environmental laws. State agencies also have authority to pursue their own enforcement actions.

Nationwide, EPA enforcement resulted in a record $10.6 billion in pollution controls and environmental projects.