Chem Firms to Spend $12M on Air Pollution Controls

Three sulfuric acid manufacturing giants have agreed to shell out at least $12 million for new air pollution controls, a move that’s expected to slash harmful emissions by over 3,000 tons annually from their production plants across the U.S.

The feds have secured this victory through a Clean Air Act settlement with Chemtrade Logistics, Chemtrade Refinery Services, and Marsulex. The firms will also cough up a $700,000 civil penalty for past infractions.

Granta Y. Nakayama, assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement, hailed the deal as a game-changer for air quality, noting that the companies’ reduced emissions would exceed half their annual output.

This isn’t the first time the feds have stepped in. The Justice Department’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division has been pushing sulfuric acid manufacturers to comply with the Clean Air Act. Previous agreements with Rhodia Inc. and Dupont have already secured pollution controls at 20 plants, aiming for a total reduction of 35,000 tons of sulfur dioxide emissions.

Chemtrade will upgrade scrubbers at four facilities in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wyoming to meet new emission limits. Marsulex is also in on the act, improving chemical processing equipment in Ohio and installing a new scrubber in Cairo by July 2011.

The feds’ investigation revealed that Chemtrade and Marsulex had boosted emissions without proper permits, a clear violation of the Clean Air Act. Now, these firms are not only paying up but also taking steps to rectify their mistakes, showing the government’s commitment to environmental protection.

RELATED: Haiti Hitman Gets Life: South Florida Plot Unravels