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EPA Agreement with BASF Corp. on Air Pollution from Wyandotte Plant Brings Clean Diesel Project to Wayne County

Release Date: 06/27/2012
Contact Information: Phillippa Cannon, 312-353-6218, cannon.phillippa@epa.gov

For Immediate Release

No. 12 – OPA049

Chicago (June 27, 2012) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached an agreement with BASF Corp. regarding alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at its Wyandotte, Michigan, chemical manufacturing facility. Under a consent agreement and final order, BASF has agreed to pay a $788,048 penalty and spend at least $250,000 on a supplemental environmental project to retrofit or replace municipal diesel engines in Wayne County with certified clean-diesel technologies.

“As a result of EPA enforcement of the Clean Air Act, people living in Wayne County will breathe cleaner and healthier air,” said EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman.

BASF will also improve leak detection and repair practices and has made changes to its processes to reduce volatile organic compounds and air toxics (hazardous air pollutants) from the facility.

This agreement is part of an EPA national initiative to target and reduce illegal emissions of air toxics from leaks and reduce excess emissions from facilities that have a significant impact on air quality and health in residential areas.

Emissions of certain air toxics are either known or suspected to cause cancer or birth defects.