Stellantis Faces Up To $270,000 In Fines For Mack Facility Order Issue!

Stellantis N.V. is facing a fine of $63,000 to Michigan’s general fund, a mandate to plant trees in the community, and the purchase of a new building management system for Southeast High School due to air-quality violations from its Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack (DACM) facility.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) on Monday released a consent order that is expected to cost the company around $270,000.

The DACM facility was part of a $1.6 billion investment from Stellantis to convert two of its smaller engine plants into a modern, state-of-the-air assembly facility to manufacture the company’s fifth-generation Jeep® Grand Cherokee (WL). The new facility was part of a $4.5 billion investment that impacted five existing facilities in the state of Michigan.

The order would resolve five of the outstanding violations that the 2.5 million-square-foot DACM facility has faced since September 2021. The violations stem from odors coming from the facility’s new paint shop. Stellantis installed missing ducting that was required by its original permit to send emissions through an oxidizer in December.

However, the plant continued to receive violation notices in March and May.

The new constant order has the automaker installing a second control device for air pollutants. However, EGLE still needs to approve another permit for a second oxidizer.

There are also two additional environmental projects added in the order. This includes replacing the out-of-date building management system at nearby Southeastern High School. The new system would allow school district staff to remotely control the school’s lighting and mechanical, water, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems. According to EGLE, the $147,000 equipment installed by the end of September 2023.

The other project would extend Stellantis’ partnership with Greening of Detroit. It would have the automaker plant more than 80 trees in Brewer Park, which is located three blocks west of the DACM facility. This includes to having the trees maintained and watered for two years after planting them between April and June 2023. The project estimates a cost of $65,000.

Using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Air Act Stationary Source Civil Penalty Policy, EGLE’s Air Quality Division (AQD) calculates Stellantis’ fine to go from $62,863 to $270,203 with the included projects.

The automaker would also have to conduct destruction and removal efficiency testing on the existing oxidizer at the DACM facility within 90 days of the consent order going into effect. If the automaker does not meet any of the odor’s requirements, Stellantis could face a fine of up to $5,000 per day.

“The terms of the agreement will allow us to make additional investments in the community as part of two Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), based on feedback we received,” Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson said in a statement. “We are eager to see the benefits these projects will bring to the community.”

“The AQD believes the proposed consent order contains an appropriate compliance plan and fine which will allow Stellantis to resolve the alleged violations,” Erin Moran and Bob Byrnes with EGLE’s AQD stated.

EGLE is holding an online public hearing on October 19th at 6:00 p.m., for the community’s opinion on the situation. Residents also have until November 2nd to submit a comment online or by leaving a voicemail at (517) 284-0900.

Source: The Detroit News