The plant in
The plant illegally emitted thousands of tons of pollutants including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds and more than a dozen other substances and chemicals, according to the 127-page federal complaint against the plant near
Findings of a yearslong federal investigation were made public Thursday in the complaint and the proposed settlement, which is now subject to a 30-day public comment period and final court approval.
The company also was recently accused of polluting nearby waterways. Firestone and eight other companies agreed in April to pay
Neither consent decree admits any violations or liability.
The new agreement calls for Firestone to pay
“Firestone is dedicated to creating a safe working environment for our employees and working toward a sustainable society for the communities we serve,” said a statement sent Friday by
Although the documents were filed Thursday in
One piece of equipment to reduce emissions was operating in
The company also reduced concentrations of a solvent and increased inspections and tests of heat exchangers during negotiations, the
Since 2017, “Firestone Polymers has reduced facility-wide volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by approximately 98% and hazardous air pollutants by approximately 97%,” Kinkade said.
The
“Businesses such as Firestone Polymers have a sacred obligation to protect Louisiana’s environment and to use our natural resources wisely,” Acting
The earlier consent decree did not say how the nine companies — including two Bridgestone companies related to Firestone Polymers — are to divide the
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