Pollution charges: Louisiana Firestone plant to pay $4M

By JANET McCONNAUGHEY
Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A synthetic rubber manufacturer in southwest Louisiana has agreed to pay $4 million and make numerous improvements to settle a long list of air pollution complaints. The consent decree with Firestone Polymers LLC, of Sulphur was made public Thursday. In April, nine companies including Firestone had agreed to pay $5.5 million in Superfund cleanup costs for water pollution. Firestone Polymers doesn’t admit any violations or liability in either consent decree. The latest consent decree announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is now subject to a 30-day period of public comment and final court approval. It includes $3.35 million in fines and $654,000 to improve public air monitoring.