EPA Reaches $120,000 Settlement with DeKalb Forge Co. in Illinois for Alleged Violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a $120,000 settlement with Forge Group DeKalb LLC, known as DeKalb Forge Co., to resolve alleged failure to report toxic chemical releases in DeKalb, Illinois, violating the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, or EPCRA.
The company forges and shapes steel products using drop hammers and mechanical presses at their facility at 1832 Pleasant Street in DeKalb, Illinois. The EPA alleged the company failed to timely submit EPCRA forms to notify the agency about the release of toxic chemicals such as chromium, manganese, and nickel during the forging and shaping process.
EPCRA requires facilities to report the storage, use, and releases of toxic chemicals. The information submitted is compiled in the Toxics Release Inventory, or TRI, that informs government agencies, the public and more about toxic chemical releases and pollution prevention activities reported by industrial and federal facilities.
The facility is in a community with potential environmental justice concerns. Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
For more information about the EPA’s enforcement program, visit the Agency’s website.
For more information about the Toxics Release Inventory, visit the EPA's TRI website.