Denka Performance Elastomers in La Place, Louisiana, agreed to the payment to settle accusations by the Environmental Protection Agency that it had violated environmental laws.

At the company’s Pontchartrain facility that makes synthetic rubber, the EPA alleged that Denka “failed to make hazardous waste determinations, comply with land disposal restrictions, and to have a permit to treat and store hazardous waste,” according to the settlement finalized June 23.

“Denka’s mishandling of hazardous chloroprene waste and its many violations of the law exposed workers and the surrounding community to excessive chloroprene and potentially serious health risks,” said Jeffrey A. Hall, EPA assistant administrator, said in a July 2 statement.

The settlement requires Denka to pay a $996,703 civil penalty and clean out and remove any residual liquid and solid waste in its outside brine pit and its ancillary equipment. The company suspended operations in May 2025.