(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine announced today that a Consent Order was entered Thursday in Morrow County Common Pleas Court that directs Cardington Yutaka Technologies (CYT) to alert the village of Cardington and the Ohio EPA about significant changes to discharges from its West Main Street facility and to pay a $500,000 civil penalty for violations of state water pollution laws.
"We are glad that this Consent Order is in place and that it will help to ensure the protection of the village of Cardington's wastewater treatment system and Whetstone Creek," said Attorney General DeWine.
The Consent Order requires CYT to immediately notify Ohio EPA and the village of Cardington Wastewater Treatment Plant of any significant change at the facility that leads to a substantial change in the volume or nature of wastewater discharged to the sanitary sewer or when any treatment system is not operating.
At various deadlines over the next 90 days, CYT must:
- Complete an environmental audit of its Cardington facility
- Install, operate, and maintain meters at the facility that monitor wash water flow and leak test flow
- Install a metering manhole to monitor wastewater discharge
- Submit a permit-to-install application for any pre-treatment or treatment system to be installed
- Submit a permit application for the discharge of non-contact cooling water
The State's Complaint alleged that CYT discharged process wastewater and non-contact cooling water from its facility to the village of Cardington's wastewater treatment plant without authorization and in violation of Ohio's industrial pretreatment standards, which caused interference at the village of Cardington's wastewater treatment plant.
The Consent Order follows a federal criminal case last November in which the company and three former managers pleaded guilty to criminal violations of the Clean Water Act at times from 1999-2008. The U.S EPA Criminal Investigation Division, Ohio EPA, and the Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation participated in the investigation of the federal case, which was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Consent Order:
CYT Consent Order (PDF)
Media Contacts:
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Mark Moretti: 614-466-3840