Company Pays $20 Million Water Fine

J A C K S O N, Miss., Oct. 26 -- Morton International Inc. has agreed topay a $20 million fine and spend millions more for environmentalenhancement projects to resolve allegations of major clean waterlaw violations.

The settlement was announced in Jackson today by federaland state environmental agencies.

The company was accused of disposing of several kinds ofhazardous waste, including methanol and toluene, at its onsitelandfill and in underground wells. The company had no permit fordisposing of the hazardous material at its 78-acre facility whichproduces adhesives.

Investigators first became aware of the problem at its MossPoint plant in 1996 after a routine examination of its compliancewith the national Clean Water Act.

“Besides falsifying data about its discharges of pollution,Morton also committed numerous civil violations of the clean air,clean water, and hazardous waste regulations,” said John H.Hankinson Jr., the federal Environmental Protection Agency’sregional administrator.

Record PenaltyMary Green, an EPA attorney in Atlanta, said the company wastrying to save money by disposing of the waste in the landfill andin the wells.

Green said the company’s actions did not affect drinking waterin the area.

According to the EPA, the penalty is the largest ever collectedfor one facility and one of the largest ever collected by theagency.

Morton, a subsidiary of the Philadelphia, Pa.-based Rohm & Haas,is a manufacturer of adhesives and specialty chemicals.

The Moss Point plant employs approximately 250 people. Thefacility produces liquid polysulfide and epoxy systems, polysulfidebased coatings and sealants, rocket polymers and other chemicalsand adhesives.