WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced a multi-state Clean Air Act settlement with Cargill, Inc., which will result in a reduction of approximately 30,000 tons of pollution a year and set new standards for limiting harmful emissions from specialty oilseed plants. Cargill is a multi-state agribusiness that owns and operates 27 plants processing corn, wheat, soybeans, and other oilseeds into value-added products used in the food, feed, and ethanol industries. The U.S. complaint, filed in Federal District Court in Minnesota, alleges that Cargill had significantly underestimated emissions from its operations in 13 states. Under the settlement, Cargill is required to install air pollution control devices at its corn and oilseed processing facilities and is expected to spend an estimated $130 million to meet the requirements of the consent decree. Cargill will also pay a civil penalty of $1.6 million and spend $3.5 million on environmental projects across the country. Ten states and four counties have joined the federal government in the settlement: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Memphis and Shelby County, Tenn., Montgomery County, Ohio, and Linn and Polk Counties, Iowa.

• Press Release (9/1/05)
• Consent Decree
• Complaint

For additional information, contact:

Charlie Garlow
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2242A)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Washington, DC 20460-0001
(202) 564-1088
garlow.charlie@epa.gov