Illinois-Based Chemical Manufacturer Settles Charges of Export Violations

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced today that Nalco Company of Naperville, Illinois has agreed to pay a $115,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that it made thirteen unlicensed exports in violation of the Export Administration Regulations.

"Chemicals that are controlled for anti-terrorism and chemical weapon reasons can be very dangerous if they fell into the wrong hands," said Darryl W. Jackson, the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement. "Therefore, exporters need to be vigilant of where their products are being sent and who they are being sent to."

The allegations involved exports of items containing the chemical solution triethanolamine (TEA) to Angola, the Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic between April 2003 and September 2006. TEA is a commodity that, depending on its composition in various solutions, can be used as a precursor for toxic agents and is controlled for Chemical/Biological, Anti-Terrorism, and Chemical Weapons reasons. Nalco had voluntarily self-disclosed these exports to BIS.

Assistant Secretary Jackson praised the BIS Office of Export Enforcement's Chicago Field Office for its outstanding work on this case.

BACKGROUND

BIS controls exports and re-exports of dual-use commodities, technology, and software for reasons of national security, missile technology, nuclear non-proliferation, chemical and biological weapons non-proliferation, crime control, regional stability and foreign policy. Criminal penalties and administrative sanctions can be imposed for violations of the Export Administration Regulations. For more information, please visit www.bis.doc.gov.

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