Report: Judge Splits Verdict in EPA Case Against U. S. Steel
08/22/2013 - The federal government can’t seek to fine U.S. Steel for violations it claims the company made more than 20 years ago to its Gary Works plant, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, but it can seek to force the company to install new controls for pollutants, the Chicago Post-Tribune reported.
U.S. District Judge Philip Simon said in his order that he agreed with U.S. Steel that the Environmental Protection Agency had waited far too long to file for penalties when the statute of limitations is five years.
The alleged violation took place in 1990 when U.S. Steel modified the inside of Blast Furnace No. 4. The EPA claimed in its lawsuit against U.S. Steel, filed last year, that the modification constituted a major change, which would have required U.S. Steel to get a permit for the construction work. The company never did…
