Erie Coke Corporation has entered a guilty plea in federal court for two counts related to criminal air emissions violations. The company, which is no longer operational, agreed to pay a $700,000 fine for these violations. This was announced by Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti.
The plea was made on June 17, 2025, before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter. Erie Coke admitted to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and knowingly emitting unburned or raw coke oven gas, which is classified as a hazardous air pollutant. These actions were in violation of the company’s environmental permit.
Details presented to the court revealed that Erie Coke operated a now-closed coke manufacturing plant in Erie, Pennsylvania. The corporation conspired with its employees to breach the Clean Air Act by removing caps on heating flues atop coke oven batteries. This allowed combustion gases to be released directly into the atmosphere, bypassing the plant’s environmental monitoring system. Consequently, pollutants were emitted beyond what was permitted under Title V regulations regarding opacity limits and raw coke oven gas discharge.
Furthermore, Erie Coke submitted emissions monitoring data quarterly that did not accurately reflect actual emission levels. It was also reported that the company maintained a culture of noncompliance with applicable regulations and permit conditions. The fine amount specified in the plea agreement was influenced by the funds currently available to Erie Coke since it ceased operations in 2019. The court retains discretion to accept or reject this fine as proposed.
Judge Baxter has set sentencing for October 7, 2025. Under law provisions, fines could reach up to $1 million.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Vasquez Schmitt and Michael L. Ivory are handling prosecution duties for this case on behalf of the government.
The investigation leading to this prosecution was conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency.
