USA and Texas v. DuPont Reference : 4:20-cv-024223 15-3564919 Complaint date : November 18, 2014 Status : Final judgment Place of jurisdiction : United States, Houston Plaintiffs types : Governments Plaintiffs names : United States of America, State of Texas Defendants : Dupont De Nemours, Kenneth Sandel Lawyers for Health and Environmental Justice : No description Case nature : Civil court Specificities : Civil action for injunctive and declaratory relief Type(s), Product(s), Active substance(s) : , Methomyl, Carbamate, Fungicide, Methyl mercaptan, Lannate, Vydate Requests : Resolve DuPont’s liability for alleged violations under RCRA, including failure to determine if a solid waste is a hazardous waste; treatment, storage or disposal of hazardous waste; ... failure to fully implement the facility’s SPCC plan and failure to comply with Pesticide Active Ingredient (“PAI”) MACT at its Biological Water Treatment unit. Name of the Court : District court for the Southern district of Texas of Houston , United States Jurisdiction level : Decision date : April 24, 2023 Decision nature : Positive Decision content : The injunctive relief required by the consent decree includes: Develop a RCRA Waste Management Plan; Investigate the sediments; submit a report which will address the full nature and extent of the contamination;… DuPont will pay a civil penalty of $3.195M to resolve the alleged past violations of RCRA, CWA and CAA and the penalty will be split with the State of Texas. Legal basis : Court Ruling : Link to the ruling Summary : On November 15, 2014, an explosion in DuPont’s La Porte facility killed 4 employees when methyl mercaptan was released. It is a toxic chemical used in the company’s insecticide and fungicide manufacturing process. The consent decree of7/9/2020, which aims at cleaning up the plant, resolves DuPont’s liability for alleged violations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). DuPont will pay a civil penalty of $3.195M to resolve the alleged past violations of RCRA, CWA and CAA and the penalty will be split with the State of Texas who is a co-plaintiff in this action. On April 24, 2023 Kenneth Sandel, the unit operation leader of the Insecticide Business Unit where the accident occurred, pleaded guilty to criminal negligence, individually. He was sentenced to one year of probation. The company, also pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $12 million. In total, DuPont will pay $19.26 million for its unlawful conduct. The total includes $12 million in fines and $4 million in Fish & Wildlife Foundation donations. Scientific references : No scientifice reference for this case. Related links : EPA website : "DuPont Settlement Information Sheet" Press article, click2houston (2014) : "First legal action taken in deadly chemical release" Press article, click2houston (2015) : "Report finds series of errors caused deadly DuPont plant accident in La Porte" Press article, c&en (2020) : "Corteva to pay $3 million for pollution problems at former DuPont site in La Porte, Texas" Press article, click2houston (2021) : "DuPont, former employee federally charged in deadly 2014 chemical release that killed 4, officials say" Press article, click2houston (2023) : "DuPont company and former employee sentenced in deadly 2014 chemical release" Press article, ABC News (2023) : "DuPont ordered to pay $16M in Texas plant leak that killed 4"