Martinsburg cement plant, located in West Virginia, United States, has agreed to pay a US$1.5m fine for violations of the Federal Clean Air Act from 2013 through 2016, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA said in a news release that the alleged violations at the industrial site included:

•  Exceeding annual emission limits for total suspended particulates and fine particulate matter less than 10 micrometers in diameter.

•    Non-compliance with opacity testing, monitoring, reporting and recordkeeping requirements and exceeding opacity limits.

•    Failing to comply with requirements for operating a kiln that is subject to dioxin/furan emission limits.

•    Failing to perform required stack testing on the kiln's exhaust in a timely manner to determine compliance with emission limits for total suspended particulates, fine particulate matter and volatile organic compounds.

•    Failing to install, operate and maintain continuous emission monitoring for hydrochloric acid in a timely manner.

The fine of $1,505,309 is part of an administrative consent agreement reached between the EPA, Argos USA LLC, the plant's owner since 1 December, 2016 and Lehigh Cement Co. LLC, the successor to Essroc Cement Corp., the prior plant owner, the government agency said.