Environmental groups accuse Alcoa of dumping illegal amounts of mercury into Ohio River
EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The Sierra Club and Environmental Integrity Project say they plan to sue the Alcoa Warrick aluminum smelting plant.
The groups accuse Alcoa of repeatedly violating of the Clean Water Act, including dumping illegal amounts of mercury, into the Ohio River.
They claim there has been at least 101 violations between 2018 and 2023.
“This aluminum smelting facility is blowing past limits for mercury that have been put in place to protect the water quality of the Ohio River,” said Meg Parish, Senior Attorney for the Environmental Integrity Project. “It is past time for Alcoa to comply with the Clean Water Act and install modern wastewater treatment systems to reduce this pollution.”
In response, officials with Alcoa told 14 News, “Alcoa Corp. is committed to operating in compliance with all applicable legal requirements, and we consistently work with regulatory authorities in a transparent manner.”
Officials with the environmental groups say they plan to file the suit after 60 days from Tuesday notice.
They say Alcoa could face penalties of nearly $65,000 per day for each violation.
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