An international chemical company that is headquartered in the Monmouth Junction section of South Brunswick violated the Water Pollution Control Act at its plant in Newark.
Representatives of Cardolite Corporation pleaded guilty on July 25 to failing to accurately monitor and report the pH levels of its discharges into the public sewer system, according to a statement released by Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino.
In pleading guilty, Cardolite admitted that on six occasions between April 22 and July 14, 2015, it violated its permit in one or more of the following ways: (1) discharging effluent with a pH outside permitted limits, (2) failing to self-report the discharging of an effluent with a pH outside permitted limits, (3) inaccurately self-reporting discharges outside permitted limits, (4) tampering with the pH probe required to be maintained by statute, regulation or permit, and (5) rendering inaccurate any monitoring device or method required to be maintained.
The investigation revealed that the company routinely had employees remove the probe for “calibration” when an alarm sounded indicating a violation, thereby preventing the capture of full and accurate data, according to the statement. Investigators secretly installed a second pH monitor that detected the specific violations.
No direct harm to the environment or infrastructure was attributed to the violations, officials said.
Under the plea agreement, the corporation must pay a fine of $100,000 and $53,338 in restitution to the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission (PVSC). Sentencing is set for Sept. 8.