Chemetco

Chemetco was a major U.S. secondary copper smelter in Hartford, Illinois, that operated from 1969 until 2001. At its peak, the facility produced about 125,000 tonnes of refined copper annually from recycled material, which represented a major proportion of domestic secondary copper refining capacity. The company reported revenues of roughly $500 million in 1999.

Chemetco and its senior officers became involved in multiple federal investigations during the 1990s. In 1992, the Federal Election Commission found that Chemetco, as well as its company president, John M. Suarez, and associate José Bóveda, arranged unlawful corporate and foreign campaign contributions affecting the U.S presidential primary in Missouri. The FEC's General Counsel described the payments as "clearly laundered money," and evidenced that funds were routed through entities owned by Chemetco and a Belgian holding company. Suarez took over ownership of the company the following year.

In 1996, an inspector from the Illinois EPA discovered a concealed 10-inch pipe discharging heavy metals from the smelter into wetlands connected to the Mississippi River. The finding led to a joint investigation by the U.S EPA, FBI, and Illinois State Police, leading to federal indictments against the company and its chief officer, Denis L. Feron, who owned parent company Metallo Chimique. Prosecution and conviction followed, for conspiracy and felony violations of the Clean Water Act. After Chemetco entered a nolo contendere ("no contest") plea, the company was fined $3.8 million, then ceased operations in 2001, following Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The case established legal precedent when the Seventh Circuit held in United States v. Chemetco, Inc. that the number of violation days is a sentencing factor for judges, rather than a matter for a jury. Atmospheric modeling later identified Chemetco as one of the largest individual North American sources of dioxins in the Arctic, including measurable fallout in Nunavut, Canada. Federal investigations also documented extensive worker exposure to health problems including chronic beryllium disease and hazards such as widespread lead overexposure.

The former Chemetco site was made a Superfund cleanup project in 2010 and remains under oversight by the EPA. Remediation continues to address contaminated soils, slag, and hazardous waste; at the same time, ongoing litigation involves numerous Potentially Responsible Parties including Fortune 500 companies.