DTE Energy appeals $100 million Zug Island pollution fine

DTE Energy is appealing a $100 million federal court judgment regarding sulfur dioxide pollution at its Zug Island facility. The ruling found the utility responsible for Clean Air Act violations through its EES Coke Battery operations.

The penalty includes $20 million designated for air quality improvements in Southwest Detroit, River Rouge, and Ecorse to address high asthma burdens and industrial pollution. DTE lawyers have argued that the order for community funds ‘crossed a line’ and that the penalty effectively acts as a shutdown order for the facility. A three-judge panel at the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear oral arguments on December 17.