Environmental regulators plan to fine General Motors Co. $50,000 for issues with air-cleaning equipment at a Lansing plant where some Cadillacs are made.
At issue is machinery used to capture certain emissions at the Lansing Grand River Assembly and Stamping plant, where GM workers build the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans.
Inspectors with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy say GM failed to properly maintain its rotating carbon concentrator, allowing more emissions of what are known as volatile organic compounds that can hurt human health and pollute the air.
Emissions at the plant “were well below permitted limits” even with issues with the machinery, department spokesperson Josef Stephens said in an email. GM in a statement said it’s been working with the agency to address the issue.
“General Motors takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and is committed to complying with state and federal requirements,” according to the statement sent by GM spokesperson Kevin Kelly. “Lansing Grand River Assembly’s total VOC emissions remained below the allowable limits during the period in question.”
EGLE inspectors visited the Lansing plant on July 23, 2025, to determine whether it was meeting standards required by the federal Clean Air Act, state environmental laws and its operating permit. The inspector found the plant had missed an annual inspection and that some seals on air cleaning equipment needed to be replaced. Further review “showed a general concern for maintenance of the abatement equipment,” according to an October violation notice.
Volatile organic compounds are gases emitted during some manufacturing processes but also during use of household products such as cleaning supplies and paint, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. High concentrations, especially indoors, can be harmful to human health, according to the EPA, and the chemicals are common ground-water contaminants.
The emissions also are key component of ozone pollution known as smog and sometimes smell like paint fumes, said Nick Leonard, executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. But he said it’s “highly unlikely” neighbors of the Lansing plant noticed a change in air quality.
Stephens said there have been no public complaints about pollutants or other issues found at the Lansing plant in the past year.
Leonard said the alleged violation is still significant.
“Air quality laws and regulations exist to protect the public health,” Leonard said. “Any violation I would categorize as serious.”
As part of a pending deal with state regulators, GM is expected to comply with state rules on air-cleaning devices for the next two years and follow steps to control pollution as outlined in the plant’s operating permit.
The company also will pay a $50,000 fine to Michigan’s general fund.
The department is accepting public comments on the proposed compliance order and will host a public hearing if someone requests one before May 18.
Leonard said $50,000 is a “nominal amount” for GM and likely is not expensive enough to ensure that other companies “know that violating the law is going to cost them more than it’s going to cost them more money than operating in non-compliance.”
“You’re not just trying to penalize the company at issue,” he said. “You’re trying to deter that company and all other companies from violating the law in the future.”
GM is not alone in being penalized by the state over pollution-related issues at one of its auto assembly plants. Stellantis NV was ordered in March 2024 to pay $84,420 in fines to the state of Michigan under a deal to resolve repeated air quality violations at the company’s Jefferson North Assembly Plant paint shop in Detroit.
sballentine@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: GM fined $50K for issue with air-cleaning machine at Lansing Grand River plant
Reporting by Carol Thompson and Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News / Lansing State Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
