Manitowoc manufacturer to pay state $85K in settlement in air pollution lawsuit

MANITOWOC – A lawsuit between the State of Wisconsin and Kerry Inc. over air pollution violations by its liquid smoke manufacturing facility in Manitowoc has been settled, with the manufacturer agreeing to pay $85,000.

The announcement came July 22 in a news release from Attorney General Josh Kaul's office after the case settlement was approved by the Manitowoc County Circuit Court July 11.

"As this case shows, Wisconsinites can help address air pollution by reporting potential violations," Kaul wrote in the release. "Thank you to everyone who is helping to keep our air clean."

In the complaint, State of Wisconsin claimed Kerry Inc. violated multiple requirements of its air operation permit, including not observing the opacity of its air emissions, not testing the carbon monoxide concentration in its air emissions and did not operate air pollution control equipment within the parameters required by the permit.

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The allegations came as a result of an inspection of the Manitowoc facility March 22, 2022, by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which administers the permits for air pollutant control.

The settlement requires Kerry Inc. to pay $85,000 to the state.

Kerry Inc. is a global manufacturer of a variety of food products. The facility in Manitowoc creates products from the company's Kerry Red Arrow line, which include smoke and grill flavorings.

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Although a settlement was reached to avoid further litigation, court documents specify there is no admission of liability from Kerry Inc,, and there is also no concession by the state regarding the truthfulness or accuracy of the allegations.

Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc manufacturer to pay state $85K in settlement in air pollution lawsuit