Kellogg to pay $500K in emissions case

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) - The government says Kellogg Co. has agreed to pay a $500,000 penalty to resolve Clean Air Act violations at manufacturing facilities in Battle Creek and Grand Rapids.

The agreement with the Battle Creek-based company was announced Thursday by the U.S. attorney's office in Grand Rapids. Kellogg also agreed to improve emission levels at the facilities and replace a cooling and dehumidifying system, a project that's expected to cost more than $435,000.

Kellogg says it's been operating under correct permits since 2008 and is committed to minimizing its environmental impact.

The government says that in 1993 and 2002 Kellogg began using equipment on two cereal manufacturing lines in Battle Creek without required permits. The government's other claims include that between 2005 and 2007 two boilers in Battle Creek exceeded emissions levels.