DuPont to pay $725,000 fine over violations at Salem County plant

DuPont Co. agreed Thursday to pay $725,000 in fines after New Jersey investigators found that its Salem County chemical manufacturing facility did not follow state rules on handling hazardous waste.

This is the second time in five years state environmental officials have cited the company over its Chambers Works facility, a 1,455-acre site on the Delaware River in Pennsville, Deepwater, and Carneys Point.

In 2006, DuPont agreed to pay $105,000 after the Department of Environmental Protection found more than 220 cases of chemicals and waste had been spilled or improperly discharged at the plant.

"DuPont needs to apply its corporate vision of sustainability and environmental stewardship to its day-to-day operations at the Chambers Works facility," Wolf Skacel, DEP assistant commissioner for compliance and enforcement, said in a statement.

The Chambers Works site is one of three facilities operated in New Jersey by DuPont, which is headquartered in Wilmington.

Among the latest infractions the DEP cited was the discharge of 47 pounds of toxic gases after a gasket failure.

A DuPont spokesman downplayed the severity of the violations, describing them as matters of "recordkeeping, labeling, and other administrative functions," and "minor leaks and spills."

"None of the violations posed a threat to people or the environment," a statement from DuPont said.

The Chambers Works plant has been in operation since the early 20th century and produces more than 500 chemicals and other products, including lubricants, refrigerants, and elastomers, according to DuPont.