Information Sheet Regarding Drummond Company's Clean Air Act Settlement
Title: EPA Reaches Settlement with Drummond Company Over Clean Air Act Violations at ABC Coke Facility
In a press release, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Jefferson County Board of Health (JCBH) announced a settlement agreement with Drummond Company, resolving allegations the company violated the Clean Air Act at its ABC Coke facility in Tarrant, Alabama. The agreement, set forth in a Consent Decree lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, stems from violations at the facility's coke byproduct recovery plant.
What's Up with the Coke Plant?
ABC Coke, a metal-producing facility, has two main processes at its Tarrant site: coke battery and coke byproduct recovery. Coke oven gas, a hazardous air pollutant containing benzene, toluene, and xylene, is produced during the coking process and piped for further processing in the coke byproduct recovery plant. This reusable chemical is sold to various industries, including steelmaking, oil, and agriculture.
Alleged Violations and Inspections
In 2011, the EPA, DOJ, and JCBH conducted an inspection at the coke byproduct recovery plant as part of the EPA Air Toxics National Initiative. Based on the inspection, the agencies alleged that Drummond failed to comply with several National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), including Subpart L (Benzene Emissions from Coke By-product Recovery Plants), Subpart V (Equipment Leaks and Fugitive Emissions), and Subpart FF (Benzene Waste Operations). Subsequent inspections in 2014 and 2018 further confirmed these issues.
Settlement Details
As part of the settlement, Drummond agreed to undertake several corrective actions to address the alleged violations. These actions include implementing a third-party LDAR contractor to monitor for leaks, hiring a third-party consultant to conduct LDAR Program audits, and permanently enclosing open wastewater streams at the byproducts plant, among others. Drummond will also pay a $775,000 civil penalty and engage in a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP).
The public is invited to comment on the proposed settlement during a 30-day period, after which the settlement will require final court approval.
While the exact details of the violations, inspection findings, and comprehensive corrective measures remain limited in publicly available sources, this settlement underscores the EPA's ongoing role in enforcing compliance with environmental laws at industrial facilities in Alabama.
For more information, contact James Pinkney, Public Affairs Specialist, at pinkney.james@our website or (404) 562-9183.
[1] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). Consent decree with Drummond Company. Retrieved from https://www.our website[2] ABC Coke. (n.d.). Company information. Retrieved from http://www.abccoke.com[3] Jefferson County Board of Health. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from http://www.jeffersoncountyhealth.org[4] U.S. Department of Labor. (n.d.). Jobs at ABC Coke. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/careeronestop/jobsearch/job_search_ww.asp?area=&pCo=abc+coke+LLC&l=al&enableAction=renewcommand_parameters&srchtype=citystate&sw=ABC+Coke+LLC&pCode=+&address=Tarrant%2C+AL&ST=alabama&postalcode=35217&mungblnkb=AL+%28336%29+County+Avenue+W+%60Tarrant%2C+AL+35217%60&cid=230996
- The water pollution from the coke byproduct recovery plant at Drummond Company's ABC Coke facility in Tarrant, Alabama, was found to contain hazardous air pollutants like benzene, toluene, and xylene.
- The EPA alleged that Drummond violated the Clean Air Act by failing to adhere to several National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs), including the ones related to benzene emissions, equipment leaks, and fugitive emissions.
- Drummond Company agreed to implement corrective actions to address these violations, such as hiring a third-party LDAR contractor, engaging a third-party consultant, and permanently enclosing open wastewater streams.
- To fund these improvements, Drummond will pay a civil penalty of $775,000 and participate in a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP).
- This settlement highlights the EPA's continued efforts to enforce industrial facilities' compliance with environmental laws, particularly in Alabama, and underscores the importance of environmental science, finance, and industry in achieving a cleaner and safer environment.
