Firestone Polymers LLC has agreed to pay $3.35 million in civil penalties to federal and state environmental agencies to settle litigation stemming from excess emissions at the company’s synthetic rubber plant near Lake Charles.
The U.S. Justice Department announced the settlement on Sept. 30. It addresses a complaint filed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) which alleges that the Louisiana plant spewed thousands of tons of pollutants in violation of the Clean Air Act and other state and federal laws.
The identified pollutants included nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, particulate matter and n-hexane, whose vapors are potentially explosive, the complaint said.
“The settlement requires several actions from Firestone, including meeting emissions limits, operating and maintenance requirements, equipment controls, limiting hazardous air pollutants from facility dryers, conducting inspections of heat exchangers, installing controls and monitors on covered flares, and installing flaring instrumentation and monitoring systems,” the Justice Department said in a news release.
The company has been working with state and federal officials for years to resolve the problems at the plant, according to a statement emailed to the Louisiana Record by Bridgestone Americas, Firestone Polymers’ parent company.
“Before the settlement, Firestone Polymers took proactive corrective actions and measures to address emissions issues at the facility, which included installing a new regenerative thermal oxidizer to reduce emissions,” the statement said. “This piece of equipment successfully started operation in March 2019.”
The improvements to the synthetic rubber plant have already cut pollutants significantly, providing a safer working environment for employees and cleaner air for surrounding communities, according to Bridgestone Americas.
“Since 2017, through the implementation of emission-reduction projects, Firestone Polymers has reduced facility-wide volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions by approximately 98% and hazardous air pollutants by approximately 97%,” the statement said.
The Firestone Polymers settlement will provide $2.1 million to the federal government and $1.25 million to the LDEQ. Firestone has also agreed to provide funding for improvements to the ambient air monitoring system in southeast Louisiana.
The settlement will be subject to a month-long public comment period before it gets court approval.