EGLE drafts consent order after Stellantis plant violates air permit
The state regulator is seeking feedback from residents after Stellantis’ permit violation at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.
Stellantis' Jefferson North Assembly Plant.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has drafted a plan to enforce an air permit violation at Stellantis’ Jefferson North Assembly Plant in Detroit.
EGLE says the automaker exceeded its allowed limit for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at the plant in the fall of 2022. VOCs are potentially harmful gases that are released during the vehicle painting process.
“Stellantis’ air permit allows them to emit a maximum of 4.8 pounds of VOC per job – and that just means per vehicle that is painted – and that is over a 12-month rolling time period,” explains Erin Moran, an air quality enforcement specialist for EGLE.
Because Stellantis exceeded that limit, EGLE drafted a voluntary legal agreement known as a consent order. The draft consent order includes a compliance plan and a fine of $84,420. The document dictates additional fines Stellantis would need to pay if it breaks certain aspects of the agreement.
Listen: EGLE enforcement specialist on how and why the public can give feedback on the agreement it drafted for Stellantis
EGLE is holding a virtual public meeting and hearing to get feedback on the draft document at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 9. People looking to attend can register here or they can “listen only” by calling 636-651-3142 and using conference code 374288.
The public can also submit feedback on the draft consent order online or by mail through Jan. 24. Comments can be emailed to Erin Moran at MoranE@Michigan.gov or mailed to EGLE, Air Quality Division, Enforcement Unit, P.O. Box 30260, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7760.
In addition to Stellantis’ Jefferson North Assembly Plant, its FCA/Chrysler Technology Center in Auburn Hills, Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Warren Truck Assembly Plant and Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit have all received violation notices from EGLE in recent years. Collectively these facilities have been cited for over a dozen air quality violations since 2021.
More from WDET:
- Urban farm tracking pollution from nearby Stellantis plant
- Detroit’s East Side is Already Polluted. Will Fiat Chrysler Make It Worse?
- State Regulator Says Fiat Chrysler Air Quality Plans ‘Fall Short,’ Are ‘Not Acceptable’
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