The trouble with the EPA/Nucor decision

摘要

EPA'S EXPECTED NUCOR enforcement action and the resulting consent decree filed in Dec. 2000 have dominated steel-industry environmental issues over the past year. What caused this predicament, and what impact will it have on the rest of the industry?About two years ago, the U.S. EPA initiated multimedia inspections at Nucor facilities that identified violations at eight Nucor EAF mills and six Vulcraft fabri-cation facilities in seven states (Steel Forum p.40). The complaint culminated with a civil judicial settlement and consent decree announced in Dec. 2000. For 18 months before the consent decree was issued, Nucor worked with the EPA to develop a comprehensive settlement. But the steelmaker felt betrayed by EPA's settlement press release, which emphasized the