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Violation Tracker Individual Record

Company: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Inc.
Current Parent Company: DuPont de Nemours
Penalty: $16,000,000
Year: 2023
Date: April 24, 2023
Offense Group: safety-related offenses
Primary Offense: workplace safety or health violation
Secondary Offense: environmental violation
Violation Description: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company Inc. pleaded guilty and was sentenced for criminal negligence in connection with a 2014 accident that left four company employees dead. On November 15, 2014, DuPont released approximately 24,000 pounds of a highly toxic, flammable gas called methyl mercaptan (MeSH) into the air. In addition to killing the four, the chemical release injured other DuPont employees and travelled downwind into the surrounding areas. U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered DuPont to pay a $12 million penalty. The company must also serve two years of probation during which time the company must give the U.S. Probation Office full access to all of its operating locations. DuPont will also make a $4 million community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund projects that benefit air quality in and around areas adjacent to the western shores of Galveston Bay.
Level of Government: federal
Action Type: agency action
Agency: U.S. Attorney-Southern District of Texas
Civil or Criminal Case: criminal
HQ Country of Current Parent: USA
HQ State of Current Parent: Delaware
Ownership Structure of Current Parent: publicly traded
Major Industry of Current Parent: chemicals
Specific Industry of Current Parent: specialty materials
Source of Data: (click here)
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Current parent company note: Parent-subsidiary relationship is current as of the most recent revision listed in the Update Log.