Dow reaches $2.5mn settlement with US agencies over Michigan pollution claims
The Midland, Mich. operations of Dow Chemical have reached a proposed comprehensive settlement agreement with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the company said on Friday.
The agreement encompasses air, water, and waste issues identified during an inspection that was conducted over a 20-month period between August 2005 and March 2007.
Dow has been working with the US EPA and DOJ since the inspection to review and resolve the issues from the audit.
In many cases, the US EPA and Dow agreed that Dow was in compliance, and no corrective action was needed. In other instances, Dow and EPA had interpreted the regulations differently.
In cases where Dow was found in noncompliance, Dow made immediate corrections. The general nature of many of the noncompliance allegations involved missed inspections, paperwork incompleteness and procedural issues.
The settlement provides for a $2.5 million payment by Dow.
“We are committed to best-in-class performance of our Environmental, Health and Safety practices and have learned some very valuable lessons from this process. We know that every detail of compliance is critical - including the administrative detail,” said Earl Shipp, vice president of Michigan operations.
“While there has been no harm to human health or the environment with regard to these findings, we have taken corrective action and implemented measures to prevent recurrence.”
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