Tyco unit settles with the Connecticut on wastewater violations

PEMBROKE, Bermuda, Aug. 17, 2004 (PRNewswire) -- Tyco Printed Circuit Group, Ltd. Partnership (TPCG) reached a settlement with the Connecticut Attorney General's Office to resolve a lawsuit filed by the state for alleged violations of state wastewater discharge regulations occurring at three TPCG Connecticut plants.

Under the terms of the civil settlement, TPCG will pay a $2 million penalty and will implement a water-recycling project to reduce TPCG's wastewater flow levels well below those currently allowed under TPCG's wastewater discharge permit.

The civil settlement was based primarily upon conduct self-reported by TPCG to state and federal authorities and identified in a federal investigation that was resolved with a plea agreement that TPCG reached in April with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut. Under the terms of the federal agreement, TPCG admitted to violations of the federal Clean Water Act before and including 2001, agreed to pay a fine of $6 million and contribute $4 million towards projects designed to improve the environment for the citizens of Connecticut.

The civil settlement brings to an end investigations conducted by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection that focused on three TPCG manufacturing facilities in Manchester, Stafford and Staffordville, Conn. The Manchester facility was closed in November 2001 for business reasons unrelated to these investigations.

The state and federal cases resulted from the actions of three former employees who had worked in the environmental department of TPCG in Connecticut. TPCG immediately suspended two of the employees upon learning of the federal investigation in 2001; the third employee had previously left the company. Each of the three former employees has pled guilty to felony Clean Water Act violations; one has been sentenced to a year of probation and the other two are awaiting sentencing.

Upon learning of the federal investigation, TPCG commenced its own comprehensive internal investigation, and, subsequently, self-reported the results of its investigation to both federal and state authorities.

TPCG also took corrective actions to prevent future violations and to improve compliance awareness and adherence. These actions include hiring new professional environmental managers, developing and updating procedures and providing additional employee training.

TPCG, a unit of Tyco Electronics, is one of the world's largest producers of printed circuits.

Tyco International Ltd. is a global, diversified company that provides vital products and services to customers in five business segments: Fire & Security, Electronics, Healthcare, Engineered Products & Services, and Plastics & Adhesives. With 2003 revenue of $37 billion, Tyco employs 260,000 people worldwide.

###