Car parts maker fined for toxic waste violations in 5
states
June 19
Dana Corp., an Ohio-based auto parts manufacturer, has agreed to pay more
than $125 million in environmental claims brought by the federal government
for cleanup costs and civil penalties associated with six Superfund toxic
waste sites in five states.
Dana Corp., of Toledo, Ohio, and 40 of its affiliated companies have agreed
not to contest the series of monetary claims brought by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the
U.S. Department of Interior in Dana´s pending bankruptcy proceedings.
The claims include nearly $24.3 million in environmental claims related to a
Superfund site in Hastings, Neb., where Dana owned and operated an auto
parts manufacturing plant from 1978 to 2002.
Dana filed petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in May
2006. Under terms of the June 17 settlement, Dana will withdraw its previous
legal objections to the United States´ pursuit of more than $125 million in
environmental claims against the company. Those claims, which now may be
eligible for recovery under Dana´s pending court-approved plan of
reorganization, are for cleanups and penalties at the Hastings site and at
Superfund sites located in South Plainfield, N.J.; Southington, Conn.;
Claypool, Ind.; Elkhart, Ind.; and Tremont City, Ohio.
At the Hastings site, the EPA alleged that volatile organic compounds,
including the hazardous substance tetrachloroethylene, were released into
the environment during Dana´s plant operations. Exposure may result in
damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.
This week´s legal settlement with Dana Corporation has been lodged in U.S.
District Court for the Southern District of New York and is subject to a
30-day period of public comment.
Contact Waste News senior reporter Bruce Geiselman at (330) 865-6172 or
bgeiselman@crain.com
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