STATE OF INDIANA

COUNTY OF MARION

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BEFORE THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

 

COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,

Complainant,

v.

CARMEUSE LIME,INC,

Respondent.

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Case No. 2015-23445-A

 

 

AGREED ORDER

 

Complainant and Respondent desire to settle and compromise this action without hearing or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and consent to the entry of the following Findings of Fact and Order.  Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, entry into the terms of this Agreed Order does not constitute an admission of any violation contained herein.  Respondent's entry into this Agreed Order shall not constitute a waiver of any defense, legal or equitable, which Respondent may have in any future administrative or judicial proceeding, except a proceeding to enforce this order.

 

I.  FINDINGS OF FACT

 

1.             Complainant is the Commissioner (“Complainant”) of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”), a department of the State of Indiana created by Indiana Code (“IC”) 13-13-1-1.

 

2.             Respondent is Carmeuse Lime, Inc. (“Respondent”), which owns and operates the source with Plant ID No. 089-00112, located at 1 North Carmeuse Drive, in Gary, Lake County, Indiana (the “Site”).

 

3.             IDEM has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter of this action.

 

4.             Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, IDEM issued a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) on February 16, 2016 to:

 

Yves Willems, President

National Registered Agents, Inc.

Carmeuse Lime, Inc.

Registered Agent

11 Stanwix St.-21st Floor

150 West Market Street Suite 800

Pittsburg, PA 15222

Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

5.             The source is a stationary lime manufacturing plant

 

6.             During an investigation including an inspection on August 20, 2015, conducted by a representative of IDEM, the following violations were found:

 

a.       Pursuant to Condition C.4 of Part 70 Operating Permit No. 089-35257-00112 (“permit”), issued to Respondent on June 30, 2015 and 326 IAC 6-4, Respondent shall not allow or cause fugitive dust to cross the boundary or property line of its source.

Respondent allowed  or caused fugitive dust from Lime Loadout #2 (East Bay) to cross the boundary or property line of its source, as observed during an inspection on August 20, 2015, in violation of Condition C.4 of the Permit and 326 IAC 6-4.

7.             On September 28, 2015, Respondent replaced the curtain of Lime Loadout #2 (East Bay).

8.             In recognition of the settlement reached, Respondent waives any right to administrative and judicial review of this Agreed Order.

 

II.  ORDER

 

1.             This Agreed Order shall be effective (“Effective Date”) when it is approved by Complainant or Complainant’s delegate, and has been received by Respondent.  This Agreed Order shall have no force or effect until the Effective Date.

 

2.             Respondent shall comply with Condition C.4 of the Permit and 326 IAC 6-4.

 

3.             Within one hundred eighty (180) days of the Effective Date, Respondent shall renovate Lime Load #2 (East Bay), extending the depth of the bay, to allow complete enclosure around vehicles while loading lime.

 

4.             Force majeure, for purposes of this Agreed Order, is defined as any event arising from causes totally beyond the control and without fault of Respondent that delays or prevents the performance of any obligation under this Agreed Order despite Respondent’s best efforts to fulfill the obligation.  The requirement that Respondent exercise “best efforts to fulfill the obligation” includes using best efforts to anticipate any potential force majeure following the potential force majeure event, such that the delay is minimized to the greatest extent possible.  Force majeure does not include (1) changed business or economic conditions; (2) financial inability to complete the work required by this Agreed Order; or (3) increases in costs to perform the work.

 

Respondent shall notify IDEM by calling the compliance and enforcement manager within (3) calendar days and by writing no later than (7) calendar days after it has knowledge of any event which Respondent contends is a force majeure.  Such notification shall describe (1) the anticipated length of the delay; (2) the cause or causes of the delay; (3) the measures taken or to be taken by Respondent to minimize the delay; and  (4) the timetable by which these measures will be implemented.  Respondent shall include with any notice all available documentation supporting its claim that the delay was attributable to a force majeure.  Failure to comply with the above requirements shall preclude Respondent from asserting any claim of force majeure for that event.  Respondent shall have the burden of demonstrating that the event is a force majeure.  The decision of whether an event is a force majeure shall be made by IDEM.

 

If a delay is attributable to a force majeure, IDEM shall extend, in writing, the time period for performance under this Agreed Order, by the amount of time that is directly attributable to the event constituting the force majeure.

 

5.             All submittals required by this Agreed Order, unless Respondent is notified otherwise in writing by IDEM, shall be sent to:

 

Daniel Dorman, Compliance and Enforcement Manager

Compliance and Enforcement Branch – Mail Code 61-53

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2251

 

6.             Respondent is assessed and agrees to pay a civil penalty of Nine Thousand Three Hundred Seventy Five Dollars ($9,375.00).  Said penalty amount shall be due and payable to the Environmental Management Special Fund within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date; the 30th day being the “Due Date”.

 

7.             In the event the terms and conditions of the following paragraphs are violated, Complainant may assess and Respondent shall pay a stipulated penalty in the following amount:

 

Paragraph

Stipulated Penalty

 

 

Order Paragraph 3 (Failure to renovate

Five Hundred Dollars ($500) per week

Lime Loadout #2)

of operation

 

8.             Stipulated penalties shall be due and payable no later than the 30th day after Respondent receives written notice that Complainant has determined a stipulated penalty is due; the 30th day being the “Due Date”.  Complainant may notify Respondent at any time that a stipulated penalty is due.  Failure to notify Respondent in writing in a timely manner of a stipulated penalty assessment shall not waive Complainant’s right to collect such stipulated penalty or preclude Complainant from seeking additional relief against Respondent for violation of this Agreed Order.  Neither assessment nor payment of stipulated penalties shall preclude Complainant from seeking additional relief against Respondent for a violation of this Agreed Order; such additional relief includes any remedies or sanctions available pursuant to Indiana law, including, but not limited to, civil penalties pursuant to IC 13-30-4.

 

9.             Civil and stipulated penalties are payable by check to the “Environmental Management Special Fund.  Checks shall include the Case Number of this action and shall be mailed to:

 

IDEM Office of Legal Counsel

IGCN, Rm  N1307

100 N Senate Ave

Indianapolis, IN  46204

 

10.          This Agreed Order shall apply to and be binding upon Respondent and its successors and assigns.  Respondent’s signatories to this Agreed Order certify that they are fully authorized to execute this Agreed Order and legally bind the party they represent.  No change in ownership, corporate, or partnership status of Respondent shall in any way alter its status or responsibilities under this Agreed Order.

 

11.          In the event that the monies due to IDEM pursuant to this Agreed Order are not paid on or before their Due Date, Respondent shall pay interest on the unpaid balance at the rate established by IC 24-4.6-1.  The interest shall be computed as having accrued from the Due Date until the date that Respondent pays any unpaid balance.  Such interest shall be payable to the Environmental Management Special Fund and shall be payable to IDEM in the manner specified in Paragraph 9, above.

 

12.          In the event that any terms of this Agreed Order are found to be invalid, the remaining terms shall remain in full force and effect and shall be construed and enforced as if this Agreed Order did not contain the invalid terms.

 

13.          Respondent shall provide a copy of this Agreed Order, if in force, to any subsequent owners or successors before ownership rights are transferred.  Respondent shall ensure that all contractors, firms and other persons performing work under this Agreed Order comply with the terms of this Agreed Order.

 

14.          This Agreed Order is not and shall not be interpreted to be a permit or a modification of an existing permit.  This Agreed Order, and IDEM’s review or approval of any submittal made by Respondent pursuant to this Agreed Order, shall not in any way relieve Respondent of its obligation to comply with the requirements of its applicable permit or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation.

 

15.          Complainant does not, by its approval of this Agreed Order, warrant or aver in any manner that Respondent’s compliance with any aspect of this Agreed Order will result in compliance with the provisions of any permit, order, or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation.  Additionally, IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of Respondent’s efforts to comply with this Agreed Order.

 

16.          Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent or limit IDEM’s rights to obtain penalties or injunctive relief under any applicable Federal or State law or regulation, except that IDEM may not, and hereby waives its right to, seek additional civil penalties for the same violations specified in the NOV.

 

17.          Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf from communicating with the EPA or any other agency or entity about any matters relating to this enforcement action.  IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of such communications with the EPA or any other agency or entity.

 

18.          This Agreed Order shall remain in effect until IDEM issues a Resolution of Case letter to Respondent.

 

 

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATION:

 

RESPONDENT:

Department of Environmental Management

 

Carmeuse Lime, Inc.

 

 

 

By:

 

 

By:

 

 

Rick Massols, Deputy Director

 

Printed:

 

 

Northwest Regional Office

 

Title:

 

 

IDEM

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date:

 

 

 

 

 

 

APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT THIS

 

DAY OF

 

, 2016.

 

 

For the Commissioner

 

 

 

Signed on December 9, 2016

 

Keith Baugues, Assistant Commissioner

 

Office of Air Quality

 

Indiana Department of Environmental Management