A Catawba, South Carolina paper mill recently agreed on a proposed settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to address emissions of hydrogen sulfide causing issues for state and tribal communities.
New Indy Catawba, LLC (New Indy), agreed to implement several improvements to their operations specifically designed to prevent hydrogen sulfide concentrations above acceptable levels, a Dec. 29, 2021 EPA press release said. The company also agreed to pay $1,100,000 in civil penalties for violating Section 303 of the Clean Air Act established in 1983.
“EPA took swift action earlier this year by issuing an emergency order to New Indy to monitor and reduce hydrogen sulfide air pollution from their Catawba facility,” Larry Starfield, acting assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in the release. “Today’s proposed settlement ensures that surrounding communities will be protected from unlawful pollution from this facility through mandatory long-term improvements designed to ensure cleaner air, which all Americans deserve.”
The proposed settlement contains numerous provisions including requiring New Indy to control hazardous air emissions via its steam stripper unit, improve its wastewater treatment system and install a carbon filtration system on their post-aeration tank, the release said. The settlement is subject to a 30-day comment period prior to approval.
“Communities near and far from this facility have been experiencing difficult circumstances that have altered their daily lives,” EPA Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said in the release. “This proposed consent decree addresses levels of hydrogen sulfide that have impacted residents along the North Carolina and South Carolina border, and Catawba Indian Nation.”
Hydrogen sulfide exposure can cause eye, nose and throat irritation as well as difficulty breathing in asthmatic individuals, the release said. In large concentrations, the colorless gas can cause respiratory arrest.
