Wixom, Michigan – Tribar Technologies, Inc., a chrome-plating producer located in Southeast Michigan, received harsh punishment in federal court for its involvement in an illegal wastewater discharge. Admitting it let incorrectly treated effluent into the local sewer system, the company pled guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act, the Department of Justice said in a release.
Tribar was sentenced to pay a $200,000 criminal fine and additional $20,000 in reparation. The company has to implement a complete environmental management system together with an extensive compliance strategy between six months and five years of probation.
Known for making ornamental trim assemblies and components for the automotive and commercial vehicle industries, Tribar operates Plant 5 in Wixom, Michigan. That business specializes in electroplating plastic components to provide them a long-lasting chrome finish. Plant 5 had an Industrial Pretreatment Program Permit in summer 2022. Provided specific notification policies were followed and no bypass of treatment processes occurred, this permit allowed the discharge of treated wastewater into the Wixom sanitary sewer.
Things, however, started to go south by late July 2022. Plant 5 had collected about 15,000 liters of hexavalent chromium, a toxic form of the metal, on July 23. Company staff attempted to handle the batch; tests by July 29 still indicated hazardous chromium levels that obviously called for additional treatment.
A worker let roughly 10,000 gallons of contaminated water straight into the treatment system of the facility that night instead of following the procedure. In a major procedural violation, someone turned off over 460 alarms meant to ring when treatment criteria were surpassed. With those bells silenced, the wastewater flowed unmonitored into the municipal sewer network.
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Three days went by before Tribar informed officials about the leak. The core of the government’s argument was this delay and the intentional suppression of safety alarms.
“Tribar’s failure to adequately train and supervise its employees jeopardized the safety and quality of local water resources. This sentence recognizes the importance of strict adherence to regulatory standards and best practices intended to protect human health and the environment. Together with our partners we will continue to protect environmental resources in the Eastern District of Michigan,” said Acting United States Attorney Julie A. Beck.
“Tribar illegally discharged industrial wastewater, posing a risk to downstream waterways,” said Special Agent in Charge Allison Landsman of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “The successful and cooperative effort by EPA, federal and state partners resulted in today’s sentencing, holding Tribar responsible for violating federal environmental law.”
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The case was the product of a multi-agency investigation. Led by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, the investigation was joined by the Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the FBI, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. These organizations taken together highlighted their dedication to upholding environmental rules and protecting the water quality of the area.