Continental Carbon is the second U.S. carbon black company to sign a consent decree with the EPA. Late in November 2013, Cabot Corp. agreed to pay a $975,000 civil penalty and spend $64 million to control air pollution at its carbon black facilities in Franklin and Villa Platte, La., and Pampa, Texas. Cabot also agreed to spend $450,000 on energy saving and pollution control projects in those communities.