Environmental violations include the improper disposal of waste, emissions of toxic substances, and illegal exploitation of natural resources. These practices can lead to significant environmental damage, including pollution of air and water, destruction of habitats, and loss of biodiversity. The repercussions are long-lasting, affecting the health of local communities, reducing the quality of natural resources, and contributing to global environmental crises like climate change.
For years, communities in Dorado, Puerto Rico, have lived in the shadow of a sprawling cement-manufacturing facility operated by Argos Puerto Rico Corp. On the surface, the plant’s towering structures and round-the-clock operations might appear as a testament to modern…
In November 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted an on-site inspection of the Afton Chemical Corporation facility located in Sauget, Illinois. The good guys discovered that Afton had substantially underreported or misrepresented manufacturing volumes—by at least two significant…
1. Introduction On June 14, 2022, inspectors from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) arrived at Hagerstown Gas & Go Inc., a gas station located at 1000 Dual Highway (Route 40) in Hagerstown, Maryland. What they found was a…
1. Introduction A major cement manufacturer in Hannibal, Missouri—Continental Cement Company, LLC—has been under investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a pattern of alleged Clean Air Act violations over the past several years. In a consent agreement…
On June 22, 2021, workers at a natural gas–fired electricity power plant in Kern County, California, discovered a serious operational failure: wastewater injected underground began seeping back up to the surface within mere feet of the injection well, pooling ominously…
It was a quiet August day in 2017 when inspectors from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 5 arrived at Evonik Corporation’s Mapleton, Illinois facility. Tucked within the preliminary pages of the Consent Agreement and Final Order (CAFO) legal…
1. Introduction Before turning to the broader complexities of what this case reveals about neoliberal capitalism, corporate accountability, and the persistent failures of environmental regulation, let us look directly at the heart of the matter: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency…
1. Introduction On a quiet street in Sycamore, Illinois, an industrial facility sits at 356 North Cross Street, largely unnoticed by residents going about their daily lives. This facility, owned and operated by Elgiloy Specialty Metals, produces drawn wire—including nickel-cobalt…
1. Introduction On June 15, 2023, EPA inspectors observed visible smoke continuously flowing from a flare at one of Arrow Pipeline’s compression stations, a direct violation of both Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations on emissions control. Even more alarming, inspectors…
1. Introduction At 1:03 a.m. on May 30, 2023, a potent chemical release occurred at the Oxy Vinyls, LP facility in Pedricktown, New Jersey. The substance was vinyl chloride—a known hazardous chemical with well-documented risks to human health and the…