CAMBRIA, Wis. — Attorney General Josh Kaul has filed a civil environmental enforcement action against Didion Milling Inc. in Cambria Wis., the same company involved in a deadly explosion more than five years ago.
Kaul's action alleges recent violations of the company's air pollution control permits at the facility. The violations stem from inspections that occurred after the explosion and include emissions control violations, leak detection violations, inspection and recordkeeping violations, control device monitoring violations, reporting violations, and emissions inventory violations.
Previous coverage:
- Grain milling company charged with OSHA crimes after deadly explosion in 2017
- Cambria community devastated following Didion Milling deadly explosion
- Demolition starts on deadly Cambria corn mill explosion site
In a statement, Kaul announced that under the federal Clean Air Act, the facilities are considered a major source of emission for carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, and violate organic compounds.
“Permitted facilities must comply with the terms of their permits so that the safety, health, and wellbeing of Wisconsinites aren’t endangered,” said AG Kaul. “When those terms are violated, DOJ is committed to holding the responsible parties accountable.”
There's a total of 30 violations listed in the action which demands financial relief ranging from $10 to $25,000 per violation.
The lawsuit comes after the July 2017 explosion that left five people dead. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it was filing charges against the company and five employees in connection to the explosion.
Those charges stemmed from accusations that the company did not clean the facility as often as required by OSHA, leading to the explosion.
