A coke battery in Michigan owned by Detroit-area power generator DTE Energy must pay a $100 million penalty for violating Clean Air Act permitting requirements, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.
The significant penalty — as well as an additional $20 million for community air quality projects — comes from a lawsuit initially filed under the Biden administration and as watchdog groups have recently warned that the Trump administration has dialed back new environmental enforcement.
“This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation’s environmental laws,” Adam Gustafson, the principal deputy assistant attorney general in DOJ’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement.
Background: DTE and a subsidiary, EES Coke, operate a facility on Zug Island in Detroit that turns coal into the coke needed to make steel. In 2013, the company got approval from state regulators to make temporary changes to the mix of gas used to fuel the battery stacks. In 2014, the state approved the permanent removal of some related equipment.
