Unilever Pleads Guilty Of Environmental Violations, Agrees To Pay $4.5 Million In Penalty

Unilever admitted guilt in two felony environmental laws violations and agreed to pay $4.5 million in penalty for its failure to promptly report illegal discharges of industrial wastewater at its manufacturing plant in Clinton. U.S. environmental officials, investigators, and prosecutors claimed the company intentionally bypassed its wastewater treatment system and released partially treated wastewater directly into the city’s storm water drainage system for as long as two years. A contract employee of Unilever informed state environmental officers about the treatment system bypass on December 5, 2008.