Sierra Club & SW Detroiters Celebrate $100M Penalty, Clean Air Wins in EES Coke Ruling - CleanTechnica

A federal court ruled against DTE Energy and its subsidiary EES Coke for violating the Clean Air Act by allowing their Zug Island facility near Detroit to emit thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide, contributing to severe health issues including asthma, Alzheimer’s, heart attacks, and approximately 98 early deaths between 2019 and 2022. The court ordered the companies to pay a $100 million civil penalty to the U.S. Treasury and an additional $20 million to fund community health and air quality improvement projects. Furthermore, DTE and EES Coke must re-apply for the facility’s operating permit with Michigan’s environmental agency, which is expected to require updated pollution controls. The Sierra Club, represented by Earthjustice and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center, intervened in the lawsuit alongside local residents from Southwest Detroit and River Rouge, communities heavily impacted by pollution. The court also mandated the creation of a Community Quality Action Committee, composed of residents and environmental advocates, to oversee the allocation of the $20 million