You know that feeling when you look behind the curtain of a corporation and find nothing but a steaming pile of deceit, negligence, and outright fuckery? That’s Corning Inc. for you – a company that’s been peddling innovation in glass and ceramics while allegedly leaving a trail of environmental poison, discriminated workers, and shattered lives in its wake. And get this: they’re a key supplier to Cummins Inc., that other behemoth of industrial bullshit we’ve all come to loathe. Yeah, the same Cummins drowning in its own controversies, as chronicled here on TCAP, from emissions cheating to labour nightmares. Corning isn’t just another tainted cog in the Cummins ecosystem; it’s an abomination. It might be the first outfit I’ve stumbled across with even more skeletons rattling in its closet than Cummins itself. What bonds these two? A special kind of hellish synergy through environmental scandals, disability discrimination woes, and a zero-tolerance policy for whistle-blowers who dare to speak up. It’s enough to make you spit out your coffee in rage. Let’s tear this apart, piece by jagged piece.

Confirming the Toxic Tie: Corning as Cummins’ Emissions Enabler

First off, let’s nail down this supplier relationship, because it’s the thread that pulls Corning into the Cummins web of woes. Corning’s Environmental Technologies division has been feeding Cummins with advanced aftertreatment systems for years – think DuraTrap filters and Celcor substrates, those ceramic bits that supposedly scrub pollutants from heavy-duty diesel engines. They’ve even scooped up awards from Cummins, like the New Product Development gong in 2018 and being hailed as a top US supplier in 2017. It’s a cosy partnership, with Corning helping Cummins meet emissions standards – or at least pretend to, given Cummins’ own history of dodging regulations. But when you dig into Corning’s record, you realise this isn’t some virtuous alliance; it’s two companies bonded by a shared disdain for accountability, especially on the environment front where both have racked up violations that stink to high heaven.

Environmental Havoc: Poisoning the Ground We Walk On

Corning’s environmental rap sheet reads like a goddamn horror novel. This isn’t some minor slip-up; we’re talking repeated fines for air and water pollution, hazardous waste mishandling, and turning their hometown into a toxic wasteland. Subsidiaries like Corning Pharmaceutical Glass LLC have been slapped with penalties totalling over $1.5 million since 2004, including a $285,450 air pollution fine in 2019 and $186,880 in 2015. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In their namesake town of Corning, New York, multiple Superfund sites have been designated due to soil and groundwater contamination with metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic, plus semi-volatile organic compounds – all allegedly from historical glass production waste dumped without a care.

Take the Houghton Plot class-action lawsuit from 2018: Property owners hauled Corning into court over soil tainted by industrial fill from decades ago, claiming health risks and plummeting property values. Thousands of tonnes of contaminated soil got yanked out during school renovations nearby, but residents are still dealing with glass debris in their gardens. Then there’s the Bath Landfill dumping saga from 2003, where New York’s Attorney General sued Corning for chucking waste from 1978 to 1988, demanding $9 million in cleanup costs – prompting Corning to reserve $20 million for environmental liabilities in their SEC filings. Other hits include a $129,314 penalty in 2003 for hazardous waste issues in Pennsylvania. It’s outrageous – these bastards have been poisoning communities for generations, and their tie to Cummins? Both companies share this environmental negligence gene, with Cummins’ own emissions scandals mirroring Corning’s pollution fines. It’s a match made in regulatory hell.

Labour Abuses: Crushing Workers Under the Glass Ceiling

If the environmental stuff doesn’t boil your blood, Corning’s treatment of its workforce sure as hell will. This company has a history of discrimination that’s as blatant as it is infuriating. In 2021-2023, the EEOC sued them for sex discrimination, alleging they failed to promote female machine operators while grooming males for advancement, violating Title VII. They settled for $120,000 without admitting guilt, but the damage was done – women sidelined, careers stalled.

Go back further to the landmark 1974 Supreme Court case, Corning Glass Works v. Brennan, where they got nailed for violating the Equal Pay Act by paying male night-shift inspectors more than female day-shift ones for identical work. It set a precedent, sure, but it exposes Corning’s deep-seated bias. Then there’s the 2018 race and gender bias class action, alleging systemic segregation of women and Black workers into lower-paying roles. On disability, the 2010 Boitnott v. Corning case saw an employee sue over denied accommodations for sleep apnoea, though the court ruled against him – still, it highlights alleged insensitivity to disabilities. Add in NLRB fines of $76,000 in 2010 for unfair labour practices and $5,374 in 2019 for Family and Medical Leave Act violations, plus OSHA safety fines over $50,000 from 2011-2022. This bonds them to Cummins through similar disability and labour scandals – both outfits seem allergic to treating people decently.

Antitrust Shenanigans: Squeezing the Market Like a Vice

Corning’s not content with just polluting and discriminating; they’ve got antitrust troubles that scream monopoly abuse. In 2024, the European Commission launched a probe into their exclusive supply deals for Gorilla Glass, alleging they locked out rivals in the mobile phone market with sourcing obligations and rebates. The company dodged a fine in 2025 by scrapping those deals, but it reeks of anti-competitive bullshit.

Throw in price-fixing settlements from 2016-2020: Corning and its subsidiary paid over $100 million, including a $66.5 million DOJ penalty for cartel behaviour in automotive glass, plus private payouts like $26.6 million, $8.4 million, and $7 million. California AG grabbed $583,333 too. Back in 2003-2004, they faced accusations of dumping optical fibre in China below US prices to crush competitors, risking export bans. No final ruling, but it fits the pattern of screwing over the market.

False Claims and Government Rip-Offs: Lying for Profit

Corning’s greed extends to bilking the government. In 2013, they coughed up $5.65 million to settle False Claims Act allegations for submitting bogus claims on lab glassware, including knowingly lying about product qualifications. They denied it, of course, but the payout speaks volumes. It’s the kind of sleazy corner-cutting that erodes trust in corporate America.

Securities Fraud and Investor Betrayals: Cooking the Books

The early 2000s saw Corning hit with securities fraud suits alleging they misled investors by inflating stock prices with false statements, linked to a $2.7 billion bond sale. Cases dragged on from 2001-2002, with Corning contesting but reserving cash for liabilities. An employee investment plan lawsuit in 2003 claimed mismanagement, though it got dismissed initially. And in Smith v. Corning, a whistle-blower alleged retaliation for flagging financial reporting errors in SEC filings – zero tolerance for truth-tellers, echoing my own experience with Cummins.

Product Liability Nightmare: The Dow Corning Breast Implants Fiasco

Through their joint venture Dow Corning (50% owned), they were knee-deep in the 1990s silicone breast implants scandal. Over 19,000 lawsuits claimed leaks caused autoimmune diseases and other horrors. A 1997 jury ruled Dow Chemical (partner) deceived women by hiding risks. Dow Corning bankrupted in 1995, settling for $3.2 billion in 1998 (expanded later). Corning denied direct blame but chipped in amid outrage over suppressed safety data. Thousands of women suffered – a grim reminder of profits over people.

This litany of scandals paints Corning as a corporate predator, bonded to Cummins in a toxic embrace. If Cummins is bad, Corning might just edge it out. Time to hold these fuckers accountable.

Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project

Supplier Series : Corning Inc. – Simpatico