Perdue AgriBusiness LLC has struck a big deal with the Maryland Department of the Environment after violating air pollution rules at its Salisbury soybean plant. Maryland Department of the Environment Secretary Serena McIlwain and Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown revealed the $12 million agreement. This deal spells out a list of promises and fines to fix the environmental damage the company's actions caused.
The settlement deal requires Perdue to get environmental permits after the fact and build cleaner processing gear with cutting-edge pollution control tech. On top of that, the company will shell out an $8 million fine and spend over $3.5 million to cut pollution at its sites, including switching heavy diesel machines to electric ones. What's more, Perdue has promised to put $400,000 towards a terrascaping project and planting trees in spots with thin tree cover in Salisbury.
The violations come from a chain of events where Perdue first took back a permit application but went ahead to grow its operations by putting in equipment without the needed permits. The equipment they weren't allowed to use led to more toxic air pollution adding to state and regional ground-level ozone, which could be bad for health.
Perdue's CEO, Kevin McAdams, said the company would take full blame for the violations and pointed out the big steps they've taken to stop this from happening again. McAdams stressed how proud Perdue is of its yearly $1.6 billion boost to Maryland's economy and its aim to fix the environmental problems by working with the authorities.
The settlement filed in Wicomico County Circuit Court, needs final approval by the court. Circuit Court Judge Karen M. Dean has signed the consent decree making the agreement an official order.
Secretary McIlwain responded to the settlement by highlighting how crucial it is for companies to follow environmental laws and rules. This prevents overburdened communities from suffering the consequences of environmental violations. Attorney General Anthony Brown agreed stressing that companies should face real penalties when they break regulations, as this affects nearby neighborhoods.
This agreement marks a big move to fix the environmental damage caused by the violations. It also shows how important it is for companies to take responsibility for protecting the environment and public health.
