Calumite Company LLC, Clean Air Act Violations, Indiana 2014

Grimy Times has learned that Calumite Company LLC, a manufacturer of an additive used in the production of glass, has been sentenced to pay a $325,000 fine for violating the Clean Air Act. The company, located in Portage, Indiana, pleaded guilty to two false statement violations in September 2014.

According to court documents, Calumite failed to maintain its loadout baghouse in operating condition between December 2008 and July 2009. Despite this, the company’s employees continued to load product onto tractor trailers and rail cars, while filling out daily logs that falsely reflected monitoring readings. This led to false information being submitted to the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) in the company’s quarterly reports.

The Clean Air Act makes it a crime to knowingly make material false statements or omit material information from documents required to be filed or maintained under the statute. The Northern District of Indiana Environmental Crimes Task Force, including agents from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and the IDEM’s Office of Criminal Investigations, investigated the case.

Calumite’s Portage facility was subject to a Title V Clean Air Act Operating Permit, which required the company to operate, maintain, and monitor several baghouses on site. One of the baghouses, the loadout baghouse, was used to collect emissions of particulate during the loading of product onto tractor trailers and rail cars.

The company was sentenced to serve a two-year term of probation and implement an environmental compliance plan that includes an annual environmental compliance training program. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana and the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the case.

Calumite’s actions not only harmed the environment but also undermined the public’s trust in the company’s commitment to compliance. The fine is a reminder that companies must prioritize environmental responsibility and transparency.

As Grimy Times continues to investigate this story, we will provide updates on any further developments. In the meantime, our readers can expect a deeper dive into the company’s practices and the implications of this case on the glass manufacturing industry.

Related Federal Cases