NEW YORK - DuPont Co. Wednesday said it would pay $16.5 million in fines and other charges in a settlement with the US Environmental Protection Agency over use of a chemical compound used in nonstick cookware.
The agreement, subject to final approval by the EPA Environmental Appeals Board, would resolve four counts of reporting violations filed in 2004 under the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Wilmington, Delaware-based chemical company said.
Four additional counts, raised by the agency in 2005, also were resolved.
The settlement closes the matter involving perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, for DuPont, without any admission of liability, the company said.
It will pay $10.25 million in fines and an additional $6.25 million for two supplemental environmental projects to be undertaken in connection with the settlement.
The supplemental environmental projects include funding for a research program to evaluate the potential for fluorotelomer biodegradation as well as funding for microchemistry and green chemistry programs in certain West Virginia schools.
"Our interpretation of the reporting requirements differed from the agency's," said General Counsel Stacey Mobley. "The settlement allows us to put this matter behind us and move forward. We have already cut PFOA emissions from US plant sites by 98 percent, and we are committed to reducing those emissions by 99 percent by 2007."
DuPont and the EPA confirmed in April they had an agreement in principle, subject to certain conditions, to resolve the complaint. At that time, the company established a reserve of $15 million, pending final resolution of the matter.
DuPont said its studies and those from independent researchers confirm that cookware and other consumer products made with or using DuPont materials are safe for consumer use. In addition, it said, PFOA to date has had no known health effects on humans.
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