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CHEROKEE, Alabama – An Oklahoma company was ordered to pay $156,250 to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management as part of a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency.

According to the settlement announced Wednesday, LSB Industries agreed to reduce its nitrogen oxides emissions by more than 800 tons per year. Total, LSB and its four nitric acid producing subsidies will pay a $725,000 penalty to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and Oklahoma state law.

LSB Industries, of Oklahoma City, is the largest producer of concentrated nitric acid in North America. The company's subsidiaries include four plants in El Dorado, Ark.; two plants in Pryor, Okla.; one plant in Baytown, Texas; and, and two plants in Cherokee.

Nitric acid is used in herbicides, metal treatment, explosives and pharmaceuticals. LSB Industries also makes nitrogen-based fertilizers including anhydrous ammonia, urea and ammonium nitrate.

Heavy concentrations of nitrogen oxide, a byproduct of the chemical, can irritate lungs and lower resistance to respiratory infections such as influenza. Frequent exposure may cause acute respiratory illness in children. Airborne nitrogen oxide can also contribute to acid rain and lead to smog formation.

The companies have also agreed to pay $150,000 to remediate and reforest ten acres of land with acidified soils located near El Dorado. Nitrogen oxide emissions, such as those from nitric acid plants, can also contribute to soil acidification.