ADM settles violations of Clean Water Act

Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland will pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency $430,000 to settle allegations that it violated the federal Clean Water Act at five of its facilities, including Cedar Rapids.

The Clean Water Act requires facilities that store more than 1 million gallons of oil to develop response plans that outline procedures to address a 'worst case” discharge of oil.

The EPA said it did not find a proper response plan during a 2008 inspection at the company's Cedar Rapids plant. The Decatur, Ill.-based company said it would develop and submit a plan but failed to do so for the Cedar Rapids plant as well as three other facilities until 2010, according to the EPA.

Additionally, the EPA found that ADM's Deerfield, Mo., facility operated without an updated response plan in 2011 and 2012.

'Large oil storage facilities are required to have proper spill prevention and response plans in order to comply with the Clean Water Act,” Karl Brooks, EPA Region 7 administrator, said in a news release. 'By coming into compliance with the law, ADM is now better prepared to respond to spills that can harm the environment.”

The settlement also resolves violations of the industrial stormwater requirements of three Clean Water Act operating permits issued to ADM for facilities in Cedar Rapids, Columbus, Neb., and Deerfield.

The violations included ADM's failure to implement best management practices at its facilities, failure to conduct and record site inspections, exceedances of permitted effluent limits and unauthorized discharges of non-stormwater.

In addition to the fine, ADM must document future compliance and report on the implementation of its facility response plans as well applicable industrial stormwater permits for three years.