DETROIT — Stellantis has racked up another violation from the state related to air quality, this time at its Warren Truck Assembly Plant.
Issued on Monday by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, the violation was related to “improperly installed equipment.” Officials inspected the plant at 21500 Mound Road on Oct. 12 and found the ventilation issue, according to the department.
“While on-site, AQD (air quality division) staff identified a portion of the primer coating booth, known as the ‘ambient flash zone,’ venting to atmosphere without first passing through the thermal oxidizer control system,” the department said in an email to Crain’s Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News. “By the language within Stellantis’ air permit, the ambient flash zone is a portion of the coating booth required to be controlled, and therefore Stellantis is in violation of the permit condition identified in the violation notice.”
This marks the third recent air-quality violation for the automaker, whose North American base is in Auburn Hills. The other two were for its new Jeep assembly plant on Detroit’s east side.
“Stellantis has received a notice from EGLE related to ducting requirements in a particular area of the Warren Truck paint shop,” the automaker said in a statement. “The company voluntarily notified EGLE of this issue after it received the Oct. 22 notice at the Mack plant and discovered a similar issue at Warren Truck. Warren Truck has been and continues to be in full compliance with the permitted emissions limits. We will work to address this issue promptly.”
As a result of the violations, the EGLE launched this week a website focused on providing updates on the state’s actions toward Stellantis plants in Michigan, as well as the company’s response to them.
“Several air quality violation notices were recently issued to the company. In order to provide the public with an accessible way to see what EGLE’s Air Quality Division is doing in regard to air quality inspections, tests, permits and outstanding violations and enforcement actions, if applicable, the comprehensive Stellantis webpage was recently launched,” the department said in a statement Wednesday.
The first violation for the Detroit Assembly Complex on Mack Avenue was issued Sept. 20 after inspectors documented “persistent and objectionable paint/solvent odors,” which nearby residents had been complaining about. The second violation for the plant came Oct. 20 due to the company violating its emissions permit.
