In a settlement with the U.S., three subsidiaries of the Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (PCS), the world’s largest fertilizer producer, will take steps to reduce harmful air emissions at eight U.S. production plants — including three in Aurora, North Carolina. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Justice jointly announced the settlement, which resolves claims that these PCS subsidiaries violated the Clean Air Act when they modified facilities in ways that released excess sulfur dioxide into the environment.
The settlement requires PCS Nitrogen Fertilizer, AA Sulfuric Inc., and White Springs Agricultural Chemicals Inc. to install, upgrade and operate state-of-the-art pollution reduction measures, as well as install emissions monitors at eight sulfuric acid plants across facilities in Aurora, North Carolina (three plants), White Springs, Florida (four plants), and Geismar, Louisiana (one plant). The three companies will spend an estimated $50 million on these measures, and will pay a $1.3 million civil penalty.
