U.S. Minerals sentenced for Clean Air Act violation

DOJ reported that U.S. Minerals pleaded guilty to misdemeanor negligent endangerment under the Clean Air Act and received five years of probation and a $393,200 fine, alongside $106,800 in related OSHA civil penalties. The corporate defendant was U.S. Minerals, not Merit. The event fell within Merit’s published investment period; Merit exited in July 2026. No later probation modification or compliance determination was verified.