In the February 5th Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Justice provided notice of the settlement of its lawsuit against Lafarge North America, Inc., Lafarge Midwest, Inc., and Lafarge Building Materials, Inc.
The lawsuit concerned Clean Air Act violations at Lafarge cement plants located in Alpena, Michigan; Ravena, New York; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Fredonia, Kansas; Sugar Creek, Missouri; Buffalo, Iowa; Paulding, Ohio; Gand Chain, Illinois; Seattle, Washington; Whitehall, Pennsylvania; Harleyville, South Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; and Calera, Alabama.
Under the proposed settlement, the Lafarge Companies will be required to implement pollution control technologies to reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide at designated cement kilns and to meet emission limits which are either set forth in the Consent Decree or will be set later by following procedures specified in the Decree. In addition, the Lafarge Companies must pay a total civil penalty of $5,075,000.
Stay tuned to the Illinois Environmental Law Blog for more news and developments.
UPDATE: The Consent Decree in this case was entered by the Court on March 18, 2010.
