East Liverpool's S.H. Bell nears end of 17-year air pollution decree

A legal agreement that requires an East Liverpool industrial materials warehouse to control its air pollution is likely coming to an end. The agreement with S.H. Bell, called a federal consent decree, has been in place for over 17 years.

On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Justice, working with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asked a federal court to officially close the agreement. They stated that S.H. Bell has done everything it was supposed to do under the agreement.

The original agreement, made in 2008, was created because the U.S. government claimed S.H. Bell was violating the Clean Air Act. They said the company wasn't following rules about air pollution from its facility, which operates as a storage, transfer, and warehousing facility that processes, crushes, screens, and packages metal, mineral, and industrial materials.

As part of that 2008 deal, S.H. Bell paid a $50,000 fine. The company also had to take steps to improve its operations, like getting proper permits from environmental agencies in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Additionally, S.H. Bell completed a special environmental project involving the construction of a shed for loading trucks that had equipment to clean the air, and paving a road to reduce dust.

The EPA reviewed S.H. Bell's request to end the agreement, which the company first offered in May 2023 and updated in April 2025. The EPA concluded that S.H. Bell has completed all the necessary actions and has followed the rules for the past two years. The company also doesn't owe any more fines.

The 2008 agreement was put in place because of concerns over manganese, a potentially harmful metal, being released into the air from S.H. Bell's plant near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border. Air tests in East Liverpool and Glasgow, Pennsylvania, showed high levels of airborne manganese in residential areas nearby.

Manganese is a natural element, but inhaling too much of it can be bad for your health and can cause brain damage. An EPA study in 2011 involving adults in East Liverpool found that higher exposure to airborne manganese was linked to problems with brain function.

To address these concerns, S.H. Bell implemented other measures as part of the agreement. These included putting in rolling doors and special filters to control dust, setting up a system to track manganese materials, and monitoring air quality along its property line. When the initial agreement was made, the company did not admit any wrongdoing.

S.H. Bell has agreed to end the decree. The motion is awaiting court approval.