DEP seeks new fines, plan for W.Va. chemical plant

By VICKI SMITH, Associated Press | February 22, 2013

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia regulators are seeking nearly $250,000 in new water pollution fines against the owner of a Northern Panhandle chemical plant.

The Department of Environmental Protection says the former PPG plant in Natrium has made progress since the parties reached a corrective-action plan in 2010. But it says the plant has struggled to consistently meet pollution limits for various chemicals.

The plant manufactures chlorine, caustic soda, muriatic acid and calcium hypochlorite. It was sold in January in a $2.5 billion deal Pittsburgh-based PPG made with Georgia Gulf.

In 2010, a judge ordered PPG to pay the state more than $1.3 million for polluting the Ohio River.

The new proposed agreement focuses on long-term plans to reduce the levels of chemicals called BHC-Alpha, BHC-Beta and BHC-Gamma.

BHC stands for benzene hexachloride.