A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice settlement with Republic Steel requires a reduction of lead emissions at a Canton, Ohio, facility.
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Lead were breached by airborne lead levels in the neighborhood as a result of a Republic Steel facility's lead emissions, according to a Dec. 2 news release. The settlement includes a $990,000 civil penalty in addition to efforts to reduce the air pollution.
"Even relatively low levels of lead exposure can cause harm to a child’s cognitive development," Acting Assistant Administrator for the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Larry Starfield said in the release. “This settlement will help protect local communities, and particularly children, by lowering airborne lead levels."
Other officials commented on the importance of the plan to the cleanliness of the air we breathe, according to the release.
“This is an important settlement and reflects our continuing commitment to enforce vigorously the Clean Air Act to protect public health, the environment and the most vulnerable communities that are disproportionately impacted by air pollution," Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the DOJ Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in the release.
