The EPA is asking a federal judge to impose a $140M penalty on DTE and subsidiaries over sulfur dioxide emissions from its ES Coke Battery on Michigan’s Zug Island. (Planet Detroit)
A federal judge has already ruled DTE qualifies as an operator of the facility under the Clean Air Act, making the parent company liable for violations.
An expert witness testified that DTE could afford to pay the fine without financial hardship, estimating the utility gained $185M–$226M in economic benefit during years of noncompliance.