A federal judge has assessed the Southern Union Co. (SUG) $18 million for illegally storing mercury at a company-owned site in Pawtucket, the U.S. Justice Department said Friday.
The sentence imposed in federal court includes a $6 million criminal fine and $12 million in payments to community initiatives including the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Emergency Response Fund and Hasbro'sChildren's Hospital. John Cruden, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Attorney Peter Neronha and Michael Hubbard, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Area Office of the Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, jointly announced the sentence, which U.S. District Court Judge William Smith imposed in U.S. District Court in Providence, R.I.
Judge Smith stayed the fine and other assessments while the company appeals the conviction.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.