Sugar Settlement

Bay City sugar processor fined for pollution

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May 16, 2008 - 2:03PM

BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - The federal government says a grower-owned sugar processing cooperative in Michigan will pay a $210,00 civil penalty and upgrade its clean-air technology to resolve pollution violations.

The Environmental Protection Agency and the Justice Department said Thursday they've reached a settlement with Michigan Sugar for emissions from beet pulp dryers. Some violations date back more than 20 years.

A spokesman for Bay City-based Michigan Sugar says the company isn't admitting wrongdoing but considers the settlement the best way to resolve the case.

The EPA says the cooperative agreed to shut down old equipment and use $13 million worth of technology to reduce volatile organic compound emissions by 446 tons per year.

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