New York State governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS DEC made a major announcement on June 7, 2019, regarding the FMC plant in Middleport and the current ongoing arsenic cleanup in and around the village.
Click on the following links to download the announcements that were published in news media or other entities:
Orleans Hub
Lockport Union Sun & Journal [3]
Gov Cuomo's office [4]
FMC Corp. [5]
These announcements, for the most part, paint FMC as the bad guys and New York State as the heroes. FMC has basically waved the white flag. The DEC had made doing business in the state and especially in Middleport very difficult with increased and excessive inspections, cited violations and fines. Since acquiring DuPont's agricultural business, FMC wanted to move that activity to the Middleport plant and plans to expand the facility with capital improvements. FMC believes that with this settlement, the working environment between themselves and New York State will improve allowing them to continue in Middleport.
The agreement is a new Order of Consent that includes various fines and commitments as listed in the announcements. Another one that was not included in the announced material is that in any year there is remediation effort by FMC, the company must spend 10 million dollars on that effort or be fined.
Law suits between FMC and New York State DEC have been dropped.
The DEC will continue the cleanup in the Air Deposition area including the school which should end at the conclusion of the 2020 construction season. Starting in 2021 FMC will do all the remediation work with over-site by the DEC. These areas will include Culvert 105, the Jeddo Creek Tributary from Francis St. to Lyndonville (if necessary) and areas east and north of the village.
It remains to be seen if this agreement will improve the working relationship between FMC and New York State.
