On May 28, 2014, a consent decree was entered between the United States of America, on behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the State of Alabama, on behalf of the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM?, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ)and the Cherokee Nitrogen Company, El Dorado Chemical Company, and Pryor Chemical Company. The companies have agreed to reduce harmful emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions by more than 800 tons per year. The companies will also pay a total penalty of $725,000 to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act and applicable Oklahoma state law. In addition to paying the penalty, the companies must continuously monitor emissions and make any necessary operational improvements such as installing new pollution controls or upgrading current controls to meet the new NOx limits. The consent also requires completion of an environmental mitigation project. The companies have to spend $150,000 to remediate and reforest ten acres of land with acidified soils located near El Dorado, AR. NOx emissions, such as those from nitric acid plants, can contribute to soil acidification. The project will help to minimize erosion, reduce stormwater runoff, improve habitat for wildlife and capture carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.