HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) – The owner of a Virginia chemical plant under investigation by state and federal authorities says the probe appears to be related to the facility’s air emissions and compliance with a 2013 environmental settlement.
AdvanSix made the comments in a statement Wednesday that also said authorities executed a search warrant and served a subpoena at its Hopewell facility a day earlier.
A spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has said the Environmental Protection Agency is leading a criminal environmental investigation at the plant.
An EPA spokeswoman said she couldn’t provide further details Wednesday.
The plant southeast of Richmond has a history of environmental violations. In 2013, it agreed to pay $3 million as part of a consent decree to resolve violations of federal and state air pollution regulations.
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