UNION CITY, Ind. (AP) – The owner of an eastern Indiana ethanol plant has paid a fine over violations of its air pollution permit.

Cardinal Ethanol paid the $9,600 state fine for its plant in the Randolph County community of Union City.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says the company didn't take reasonable steps to restore an air pollution scrubber to normal operation as soon as practical during planned shutdowns in 2011-13.

Cardinal Ethanol president Jeff Painter tells The Star Press the company paid the fine in order to expedite a settlement with the state.

The company says the plant about 30 miles east of Muncie produced about 110 million gallons of ethanol last year. The plant's air emissions include carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, acetaldehyde and particulate matter.