DETROIT, Michigan – A Southeast Michigan manufacturer has been sentenced to pay a 200,000 criminal fine, 20,000 in restitution, serve five years of probation, and implement an environmental management system and compliance plan within the first six months of probation, according to a recent federal court ruling.
Tribar Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of decorative trim assemblies and components serving the automotive and commercial vehicle markets in Southeast Michigan, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act when it discharged insufficiently treated wastewater, a misdemeanor, on July 29, 2022.
According to court documents, Tribar is a chrome plating facility in Wixom, Michigan, that uses an electroplating process to apply chrome finishing to plastic automotive parts. The facility where the events in this case occurred – Plant 5 – held an Industrial Pretreatment Program Permit, authorizing discharges of treated wastewater from Plant 5 into the Wixom sanitary sewer system. Tribar’s permit included a notification requirement for batch discharges and prohibited Tribar from bypassing its own treatment system.
On July 23, 2022, Tribar Plant 5 accumulated approximately 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater with high concentrations of hexavalent chromium. Tribar employees attempted to treat this wastewater, but by July 29, 2022, it still contained high levels of hexavalent chromium that required treatment before it could be released into Tribar’s wastewater treatment system. On the evening of July 29, 2022, a Tribar employee discharged a batch of approximately 10,000 gallons of insufficiently treated wastewater from a holding tank into Plant 5’s wastewater treatment system.
The discharge activated approximately 460 alarm bells all of which were disabled, allowing the wastewater to be discharged into the Wixom sanitary sewer system. Tribar did not report this illegal discharge until August 1, 2022.
“Tribar’s failure to adequately train and supervise its employees jeopardized the safety and quality of local water resources. This sentence recognizes the importance of strict adherence to regulatory standards and best practices intended to protect human health and the environment. Together with our partners we will continue to protect environmental resources in the Eastern District of Michigan,” said Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.
Tribar Technologies, Inc. was sentenced to pay a 200,000 criminal fine, 20,000 in restitution, serve five years of probation, and implement an environmental management system and compliance plan within the first six months of probation. The investigation of this case was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Environmental Crimes Section, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant/respondent: Tribar Technologies, Inc.
Criminal Charges: Violating the Clean Water Act, a misdemeanor.
City and State: Wixom, Michigan
Exact Date: July 29, 2022
Sentence or Outcome: 5 years of probation, 200,000 fine, 20,000 in restitution, and implementation of an environmental management system and compliance plan.
Dollar Amounts: 200,000 fine, 20,000 in restitution.
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Key Facts
- State: Michigan
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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