Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has achieved a settlement with the chemical distribution company Brainerd Chemical Midwest LLC following allegations of uncontrolled hazardous emissions in Danville, Illinois. The settlement was announced today after Brainerd Chemical was accused of failing to properly manage hydrogen fluoride emissions, a chemical that poses serious health risks—irritation at low exposure and the potential for fatal consequences at high levels.
according to a statement from the Attorney General’s office
.
As outlined in the consent order, Brainerd Chemical will continue to abide by environmental laws, preventing further violations which prompted a lawsuit in 2022. The company has also agreed to a $124,000 civil penalty and to pay $1,000 in construction permit fees they avoided, “My office will continue to work with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to ensure our communities are protected from the impact of dangerous chemical emissions,”
Raoul said in the announcement
. Residents had previously raised the alarm when local flora was visibly affected by the emissions, leading to an investigation and eventual settlement.
James Jennings, the acting director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, commended the outcome,
stating
, “This agreed consent order is a positive resolution to our enforcement case against Brainerd Chemical for the release of hydrogen fluoride from storage tanks in 2022.” Jennings noted the environmental and health threats posed by the incident but expressed satisfaction with the preventive aspects of the agreement.
Brainerd Chemical has followed through on all obligations outlined in an earlier interim order issued in August 2022, having ceased the use of hydrogen fluoride by December of that year. They confirmed in January 2023 that they would discontinue hydrogen fluoride operations at the Danville facility. The prompt response may be seen as a step toward reparations in an area that has been identified as an environmental justice community. Assistant Attorney General Kevin Barnai is credited with handling the case on behalf of Raoul’s Environmental Enforcement Division, which focuses on holding polluters to account and supporting pollution-impacted communities.
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