EPA Reaches Settlement with Cornell Forge in Chicago Regarding Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act
Chicago, Ill. (September 23, 2021) Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Cornell Forge Company to resolve alleged violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) at the company’s facility in Chicago, Illinois. The settlement includes a $165,197 civil penalty.
Cornell Forge manufactures steel products from steel bar with drop hammers and mechanical presses and has finishing operations at its facility at 6666 W. 66th St. in Chicago. EPA alleged that Cornell Forge violated EPCRA by failing to submit to the federal and state governments required forms regarding the releases and transfers of substances including chromium, nickel, ethylene glycol and manganese. EPCRA increases the public's knowledge and access to information about chemicals at individual facilities, their uses, and releases into the environment. States and communities, working with facilities, can use the information to improve chemical safety and protect public health and the environment.
Under the terms of the consent agreement and final order with EPA, Cornell Forge has addressed the alleged EPCRA violations at the facility and will pay a civil penalty of $165,197 to the federal government. The facility is located in a community with potential environmental justice concerns. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
For more information about EPA’s enforcement program, visit: https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/basic-information-enforcement
For more information about EPCRA, visit: https://www.epa.gov/epcra