Stellantis to pay $84,000 fine for air quality violations at Jefferson North

Stellantis NV must pay $84,420 in fines to the state of Michigan under a deal finalized Monday to resolve repeated air quality violations at the company's Jefferson North Assembly Plant paint shop.

The consent order, signed by Stellantis and Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy officials, was due to the company releasing more volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, than it was allowed from September 2022 through September 2023.

The plant, at 2101 Conner Ave., was allowed to emit 4.8 pounds of the pollutant per car or truck painted there in a 12-month rolling time period, but exceeded 5 pounds per job. The chemicals that were released are commonly used in paints, pharmaceuticals, refrigerants and other household products and can become airborne.

The final order issued this week is the same as what state environmental regulators had proposed in January ahead of a public comment period.

Under the agreement, FCA US LLC, the U.S. division of Stellantis NV, agrees that if emissions go above 4.8 pounds per paint job on average for a quarterly period, the company must submit a mitigation plan, explain the reason for the higher emissions, and document how it plans to reduce them. The company also will pay fines up to $4,000 per month when it misses the emissions limit.

The consent order lasts at least three years. At that point, Stellantis must submit a formal request to end it, and EGLE's air quality chief would need to sign off.

The 3 million-square-foot Jefferson North facility makes Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durango SUVs. It is adjacent to the Mack Assembly Plant, which has also faced repeated violations and neighborhood complaints about emissions releases and odor issues.

A statement sent Tuesday by Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson said the company is pleased to have finalized the settlement and "resolve the alleged air permit violations."

"While the facility was and continues to be well below its permitted allowable total emissions, we’re pleased to report that we have restored compliance with the per vehicle emission limit," the statement said.

lramseth@detroitnews.com

@lramseth