Tyson agrees to fund environmental projects

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By Dustin Lemmon | Thursday, January 11, 2007 12:57 AM CST | () comments

Under a legal agreement reached Wednesday in Rock Island County Circuit Court, Tyson Foods Inc. will pay nearly $1 million to fund several environmental protection projects in the Quad-City area.

The Illinois Attorney General and Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s office filed suit against IBP Inc. and its Joslin, Ill., plant in 1997 over environmental violations. Tyson Foods purchased IBP in 2001.

In a consent order filed Wednesday, the company agreed to pay $995,000 for six projects, including three in the Quad-Cities, and a $30,000 civil penalty, company officials reported.

The alleged violations in the suit were for air pollution, which included odor emissions, construction and operation without permits and public nuisance.

Under the agreement, Tyson will spend $750,000 to control air emissions at the plant and $600,000 to reduce emissions from trucks that sit idling with shipments. The money for the trucks will allow the freezers to stay cold without the trucks running, said Scott Mulford, a spokesman for the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

Tyson also will pay $100,000 to the Rock Island County Regional Superintendent of Schools to fund environmental projects at Rock Island County schools, $50,000 to the City of Rock Island for construction of a children’s garden at the Quad-City Botanical Center and $45,000 to the City of Moline to fund environmental cleanup work at Bass Street Landing on the riverfront.

The civil penalty is for alleged releases of ammonia at the plant.

Tyson said it was the company’s idea to pay for various environmental projects to help resolve the case.

“We’re pleased this long-running legal matter is over and are moving forward with the implementation of additional environmental improvements at the plant,” Kevin Igli, senior vice president and chief environmental, health and safety officer for Tyson, said in a news release.

Mulford said Tyson also will pay some money to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Illinois Attorney General’s office.

The Joslin plant employs 2,400 people, according to Tyson, and slaughters 3,000 head of cattle each day, the attorney general’s office said.

Dustin Lemmon can be contacted at (563) 383-2493 or dlemmon@qctimes.com.