US Edition
US Court Orders DTE Energy to Pay $100 Million over Clean Air Act Violation
DTE Energy must fund $20 million for local air quality projects and pay $100 million for Clean Air Act violations linked to increased sulfur dioxide emissions, court ruled.
- On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered DTE Energy Co. and subsidiaries to pay a $100 million penalty, comply with the Clean Air Act, and fund $20 million for community projects.
- After a September 2025 bench trial, the court found that 2014 permit changes prompted regulators to claim emissions violations by EES Coke Battery LLC, under the New Source Review program.
- Trial evidence showed EES Coke Battery LLC emitted over 3,200 tons of sulfur dioxide in 2018 and an EPA environmental engineer testified to 14,180 excess tons from 2019–2023, while financial analyst Dan Leistra-Jones said DTE saved between $46.4 million and $99.1 million by avoiding pollution controls.
- The court gave DTE 250 days to seek permits, and a seven-member Community Quality Action Committee will pursue local air quality projects in Ecorse, River Rouge, and ZIP 48217.
- Local advocates reacted by saying `This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation's environmental laws,' after the court found emissions caused health issues and 98 early deaths, while DTE plans to appeal.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Bridge Detroit
Planet DetroitJudge fines DTE, its Zug Island facility $100 million for Clean Air Act violations
This article first appeared on Planet Detroit and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This story also appeared in Planet Detroit This story was produced with support of Internews’ Earth Journalism Network. A federal judge ordered DTE Energy and its Zug Island facility Tuesday to pay a $100 million fine, comply with the Clean Air Act, and fund $20 million in…
Judge orders DTE to pay $100 million fine over Clean Air Act violations on Zug Island
A federal court judge has ruled that DTE Energy must pay a $100 million fine over pollution connected to pollution from one of its subsidiaries on Zug Island.The EES Coke Facility on Zug Island failed to meet federal standards for sulfur dioxide in the air, according to the court. In August 2025, a judge ruled the factory violated the Clean Air Act, and in September 2025, the court held a two-week trial to determine which DTE entities were liabl…
Sierra Club & SW Detroiters Celebrate $100M Penalty, Clean Air Wins in EES Coke Ruling - CleanTechnica
DTE and EES Coke were ordered to invest $20 million in community projects. Detroit, MI — A federal court today ruled against DTE and EES Coke for violating the Clean Air Act by allowing a Zug Island facility to emit thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide that led to asthma ... [continued] The post Sierra Club & SW Detroiters Celebrate $100M Penalty, Clean Air Wins in EES Coke Ruling appeared first on CleanTechnica.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
