Plant-based ingredient maker to pay $8 million over pollution violations at Indianapolis facility
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Ingredion, a plant-based ingredient maker for food and beverages, has agreed to pay $8 million for over-pollution violations at its Indianapolis facility.
The plant-based ingredient maker was accused of violating the Clean Air Act at its corn wet milling facility on Drover Street by releasing more particulate matter than is allowed by law.
Corn wet milling is a process of breaking corn kernels into their component parts. During this process, microscopic solids or liquid droplets can go into the air and go deep into the lungs and cause serious health problems.
Ingredion said Tuesday it had settled claims by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Justice Department, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, and the Indiana Attorney General’s Office.
The company will pay a civil penalty of $1,139,600 and implement measures of nearly $7 million to reduce and offset unpermitted emissions of particulate matter and comply with lower future PM limits.
Court papers say that Ingredion did not operate and monitor certain equipment as required to minimize air emissions.
“The settlement requires Ingredion to install and operate new equipment to meet PM limits that are lower than the plant’s current permitted limits to implement a modernized compliance management system to address repeated operation and also to monitor failures at the facility and hire an independent auditor to verify the effectiveness of the system,” said the DOJ’s Office of Public Affairs said in a release.
The company also committed to mitigating the harm associated with past excess PM emissions by paving onsite unpaved and partially paved roads and parking areas to reduce PM emissions generated by vehicle traffic, which was completed before Tuesday’s filing.
Inegredion is required to contribute $560,400 to the state to support Brownfields redevelopment in and around Marion County, per the release.
Statements
“Today’s settlement will not just bring Ingredion back into compliance with the Clean Air Act, it will hold it to more stringent air pollution standards going forward,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This settlement will result in cleaner air for the residents of Indianapolis, particularly those who live in the overburdened community near the Ingredion facility.”
“This settlement requires Ingredion to both lower its future emissions of particulate matter and take additional steps to offset the excess emissions it has released in prior years,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “To help ensure the Company’s future compliance, the settlement also requires Ingredion to implement a compliance management system that is subject to an independent audit program.”
“IDEM is happy to be a part of this resolution that ensures responsible operations in compliance with the Clean Air Act,” said IDEM Commissioner Brian Rockensuess. “Good air quality is a shared resource that requires partnership between government entities, the public and industry. This settlement will benefit residents in Marion County and Hoosiers across Indiana.”