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JEFFERSON CITY, MO. -- Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, which manufactures antibiotics at a plant in Audrain County, had a consent decree lodged with the EPA in federal court for the resolution of environmental violations.

A fluorescent green-colored discharge from the Mexico waste-water treatment plant was observed in the Salt River in December 2008, according to the Attorney General's Office. That discharge discolored the river to the Mark Twain Reservoir – more than 22 miles.

State and federal environmental officials traced it to Teva, and subsequent inspections of the plant's waste management practices and operations revealed violations of state and environmental laws and hazardous waste management violations.

Teva representatives must see the plant's water discharge at least once a day, according to the terms of the settlement. They also must assess past violations and recommend actions to prevent a reoccurence, ensure all hazardous-waste containers are properly labeled and stored, and implement an enhanced leak detection program.

Teva plans to begin mitigation projects to reduce hazardous emissions and will pay a $2.25 million civil penalty. One-half of that penalty will be paid by Teva to the Audrain County School Fund. Teva also agreed to pay the state of Missouri $26,000 for damages to natural resources, $65,684 in hazardous-waste fees and taxes, $1,752 in air-emission fees, and $59,357 for the state’s investigative costs.

"Missourians have a right to expect local businesses to comply with environmental laws designed to protect the state’s valuable water resources," Attorney General Chris Koster said. "Thanks to a joint effort by the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Agency, these violations were promptly discovered and addressed by Teva."