News Releases from Region 01

EPA Settlement with Connecticut Electric Cable Facility Resolves Alleged Chemical Reporting Violations

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached a settlement with a Connecticut electric cable manufacturing company, Marmon Utility LLC, that failed to report information about certain chemical compounds at its manufacturing facility in Seymour, Connecticut. 

Under the settlement, Marmon Utility has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle EPA allegations that the company failed to comply with federal right-to-know laws in 2018 when it failed to file and certify required reports describing certain chemical and chemical compounds processed at the facility. The reports, Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) forms, are required under the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

In April 2019, Marmon filed and certified its missing TRI reports for lead, copper and zinc compounds after an inquiry from EPA's New England office. Marmon was cooperative during the inspection process and case settlement negotiations.

At the Marmon Kerite facility, Marmon manufactures medium and high-voltage electric power cables. Copper, aluminum and steel wire are bound and braided, then coated with insulation that contains lead and zinc compounds, to make power cables. The facility also melts and extrudes metallic lead to coat power cables with lead insulation. 

In 2017, Marmon processed lead, copper, and zinc compounds in quantities that exceeded 10 times their threshold TRI reporting amounts. Because Marmon's TRI forms were not properly submitted and certified, the information for these chemicals was not available to the public. Both copper and zinc compounds are hazardous to aquatic life, and lead is a bioaccumulative material that is hazardous to both humans and wildlife.  

More information about Toxics Release Inventory reporting requirements: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/toxics-release-inventory-tri-program/reporting-tri-facilities