# CHEMIX CORPORATION
> **Judicial** · FY1984 · — · Final Order With Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `25261`
- **Case Number:** 05-1984-0017
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order With Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** $8K
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- CHEMIX CORPORATION (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE CASE                                      CHEMIX CORPORATION OWNS AND OPERATES A CHEMICAL MANU-   FACTURING PLANT IN BEREA, OHIO.  WASTEWATER IS GENERATED IN  ITS BATCH PROCESS WHEN MIXERS ARE WASHED DOWN.  THE WASTE-   WATER CONTAINS PHOSPHATE, AMMONIA, NITRITE, SILICATES, SODA  ASH, CAUSTIC SODA, ORGANIC MATTER, CHROMIUM, ZINC, AND       POSSIBLY NICKEL.  THE WASTEWATER FLOWS TO A SUMP AND IS      DISCHARGED, WITHOUT TREATMENT, TO A RAILROAD DRAINAGE DITCH  WHICH FLOWS INTO ABRAM CREEK, A TRIBUTARY OF THE ROCKY       RIVER, WHICH IS CLASSIFIED AS A  STATE AND NATIONAL RESOURCE WATER.   ALTHOUGH THESE WASTEWATER DISCHARGES HAVE APPARENT- LY OCCURRED SINCE 1972, CHEMIX HAS NEVER OBTAINED AN NPDES   PERMIT.  EPA, REGION V, LEARNED OF THESE DISCHARGES IN EARLY FEBRUARY 1984, AS A RESULT OF A CITIZEN'S CALL.  THE  STATE  AND NATIONAL RESOURCE WATER  DESIGNATION REPRESENTS THE      HIGHEST USE AND PROTECTION LEVELS WHICH THE STATE CAN ASSIGN A BODY OF WATER, AND HAS BEEN USED TO PROTECT WATERS OF THE  STATE WHICH ARE OF PARTICULAR SCENIC BEAUTY.                      SAMPLES TAKEN IN THE RAILROAD DITCH INDICATE PH OF 12   STANDARD UNITS, SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO CAUSE CAUSTIC BURNS TO  LIVING TISSUE.                                                    DUE TO THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL THREAT PRESENTED BY  THE UNPERMITTED DISCHARGES, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE TO OBTAIN  A JUDICIALLY ENFORCEABLE CONSENT DECREE OR ORDER TO COMPEL   CHEMIX TO TAKE THE NECESSARY MEASURES 

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*