A Northern Panhandle industrial and medical gas manufacturer has agreed to pay a civil penalty for water pollution violations.
Under a consent decree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Messer LLC has agreed to pay a $1.9 million penalty for violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
The EPA and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection found that the company exceeded its discharge permits for copper, aluminum, iron and residual chlorine at its facility in New Cumberland.
Messer is required to construct a new water treatment system to eliminate those violations and monitor stormwater to ensure future compliance.
The public has 30 days to comment on the consent decree prior to approval from the federal district court for the Northern District of West Virginia.
The EPA and the state DEP, as co-plaintiffs in the consent decree, will split the penalty.