Mosaic Co., one of the world's largest fertilizer producers is about to close a $2 billion settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice. The company has been operating leaky facilities in Florida and Louisiana as well as improperly storing and disposing of as much as 60 billion pounds of hazardous waste from the fertilizer production. The company stores waste in 500 foot piles across over 600 acres throughout Florida and Louisiana, but they have been found to be mixing corrosive fertilizer waste with mining waste, a violation of federal and state law. As a result of this settlement, Mosaic Co. will have to shut down four of its facilities and produce funds to aid in environmental cleanup initiatives. |
This settlement, set to be finalized and announced today, shows the intended and successful operation of the DOJ and EPA. Through costly settlements like this one, these agencies are able to effectively regulate companies that could be unjustly polluting. It is only through constant regulation and the threat of monetary penalization that many companies will continue to operate efficiently and in accordance with government set environmental standards.
Original Al Jazeera Article (link)
Original Al Jazeera Article (link)