EPA may also require Alcoa to make other plant improvements as needed to ensure the plant s future compliance with the Clean Water Act, the settlement notes. As part of a special hazardous waste reduction project, the plant must change its metal treatment processes to reduce the generation of chromium containing wastewater treatment sludge by 30 percent before June 2001, and by 65 percent by June 2003. Alcoa must also test an alternate metal purification process to determine if it can eliminate the dense smoke emitted by its current process. The enforcement action against Alcoa is part of the Mississippi River Initiative, a coordinated effort to stop pollution of the River announced in September 1998 by EPA Administrator Carol Browner and Attorney General Janet Reno. Since then, criminal cases and investigations involving the Mississippi River Basin have been opened or concluded in 19 federal districts, and civil enforcement cases have started or been successfully concluded in 16 federal districts.
Active investigations are ongoing in other districts as well.
A notice of the settlement will be published in the Federal Register this week. The settlement must still be approved by a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana. All Rights Reserved. Inc. All Rights Reserved.