Environmental enforcement roundup: EPA settles with Nalco, Phoenix Global, Miller Waste Mills, and more
In its continued efforts to enforce environmental regulations and protect public health, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a series of settlements with four companies across the Midwest. These actions address violations ranging from excess air pollution and chemical reporting failures to inadequate safety protocols and emissions control. Each settlement includes financial penalties and corrective measures aimed at improving environmental compliance and reducing harmful emissions.
Nalco Production LLC and Nalco Co. LLC (Chicago, Illinois)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Nalco Production LLC and Nalco Co. LLC for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at their polymer blend chemical manufacturing facility in Chicago. The companies will pay a $401,300 penalty. EPA cited failures in hazard assessments, safety procedures, equipment inspections, and incident investigations. In addition to the fine, the companies agreed to upgrade ventilation systems and pressure relief valves, enhance monitoring with new sensors, and improve training and record-keeping protocols.
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Phoenix Global (Burns Harbor, Indiana)
Phoenix Global has reached a settlement with the EPA for violating Clean Air Act regulations at its slag processing facility in Burns Harbor, Indiana. The company, which processes waste byproducts from steel manufacturing, paid a $190,860 penalty. Violations included exceeding permitted air opacity limits and contributing to hazardous dust emissions containing toxic metals. Phoenix Global will now install dust control equipment to mitigate emissions, improving air quality near Lake Michigan and the Indiana Dunes National Park.
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Miller Waste Mills (Winona, Minnesota)
Miller Waste Mills, Inc. (operating as RTP Company) in Winona, Minnesota, has agreed to pay a $112,155 civil penalty to resolve violations under the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA found that the company failed to submit required data reports for four imported chemical substances. These omissions impacted the agency’s ability to evaluate potential health and environmental risks. The EPA emphasizes the importance of accurate chemical reporting for public safety and transparency.
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Carmeuse Lime Inc. (Bettsville, Ohio)
Carmeuse Lime Inc. will pay a $260,000 penalty after the EPA cited the company for exceeding sulfur dioxide emissions at its lime manufacturing facility in Bettsville, Ohio. The violations involved the company’s two rotary lime kilns, which released pollutants known to trigger respiratory issues. In addition to the financial penalty, Carmeuse is required to meet new, stricter emissions limits and continuously monitor sulfur dioxide output from the kilns.
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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