Crime & Safety

Neville Island Coke Plant Agrees to $1.75 Million Settlement

The settlement with Shenango Inc. is part of an agreement to resolve environmental violations issued in 2006.

A Neville Island coke plant has agreed to pay a $1.75 million fine as part of a settlement to resolve dating back to 2005, the company announced Monday.

The settlement with Shenango Inc. was filed in federal court in Pittsburgh by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and Allegheny County Health Department.  

DTE Energy Services, based in Ann Arbor, MI, purchased the plant in 2008 and, according to the company, began a series of upgrades to reduce emissions and bring the plant with local, state and federal environmental standards. Shenango Inc. produces metallurgical coke, coke oven gas and other salable byproducts

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"This settlement is a milestone in our efforts to resolve historical environmental issues and bring the operations and environmental performance of Shenango up to first-tier status," Gary Gross, Vice President of DTEES said in a news release. "When we acquired the facility, we were well aware of its history. We would not have proceeded with the purchase unless we had confidence that we could dramatically improve performance and establish Shenango as a good neighbor and a valuable asset to the community."

In December, .

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Shenango has agreed to four programs to ensure compliance as part of the settlement:

  • Complete the ceramic welding of oven wall joints that it began in 2008.  This work has significantly reduced opacity exceedances from the facility's combustion stack.
  • Construct a stormwater management system for the site.
  • Construct a biological wastewater treatment system to treat water used in plant processes.
  • Install temporary systems to reduce ammonia levels in plant process water discharge.

 


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