Stellantis agrees to pay $84K for air quality violations at Jefferson North plant
In addition to the fine, the consent order will require Stellantis to report any emissions violations to the state over the next three years.
Stellantis' Jefferson North Assembly Plant.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has finalized a deal with Stellantis NV this week over air quality violations at the company’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.
The consent order, finalized by EGLE on Monday, will require Stellantis to pay $84,420 in fines to the state of Michigan for exceeding its allowed limit for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the plant located at 2101 Conner Avenue in the fall of 2022.
VOCs are potentially harmful gases that are released during the vehicle painting process. Exposure to VOC vapors can cause a variety of health issues, including eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, nausea and other side effects. Some VOCs can also cause cancer in humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
EGLE alleges that the company exceeded its “per job” VOC emission limit of 4.8 pounds per vehicle painted based on a 12-month rolling time period beginning in November 2022. EGLE drafted the consent order in December 2023 as a result of that violation, which was followed by 30-day public comment period — though no changes to the consent order were made.
The plant has been in compliance with the VOC emission limit since September 2023, according to EGLE.
In a statement sent to WDET on Wednesday, Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson said the company is pleased to have finalized a settlement with EGLE to resolve the alleged air permit violations at the plant.
“While the facility was and continues to be well below its permitted allowable total emissions, we’re pleased to report that we have restored compliance with the per vehicle emission limit,” she said.
In addition to the $84,420 fine, the consent order requires Stellantis to report any emissions that exceed the 4.8-pound per job limit to the state over the next three years, and submit a mitigation plan documenting how the company plans on reducing them. Stellantis would also be required to pay up to $4,000 in fines per month when it exceeds the emissions limit.
Stellantis’ Jefferson North Assembly Plant is not the only facility to receive violation notices from EGLE in recent years. Its FCA/Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Warren Truck Assembly Plant and Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit have all collectively been cited for over a dozen air quality violations since 2021.
Former WDET reporter Laura Herberg contributed to this report.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
