Belden and Blake to Pay $42,504 Penalty to Settle Alleged Environmental Violations

EPA Press Release:

Belden and Blake to Pay $42,504 Penalty

to Settle Alleged Environmental Violations

PHILADELPHIA (July 2, 2013) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Belden and Blake Corporation will pay a $42,504 penalty to settle Clean Air Act violations at its natural gas liquid extraction plant at 1950 West Washington St., Bradford, Pa.

EPA alleged that the company failed to comply with federal clean air regulations intended to prevent accidental releases of flammable substances.

The settlement follows up on an EPA administrative order issued to Belden and Blake in Sept. 2011 to prevent accidental releases of flammable substances that could pose a risk to human health and workers in the area. The company has already taken action requested in the order including protecting piping to a 10,000-gallon gas storage tank, conducting a process hazard review for all of the facility's equipment, and providing operating procedure training for employees.

The facility handles and stores flammable mixtures. The processes used at the facility involve the separation of propane, butane, ethane and isobutene from the incoming natural gas using compressors and a process skid. The separated gases are stored together in a 10,000-gallon storage tank, which when full weighs 67,000 pounds. The gases are then transported off-site.

As a part of the settlement, the company did not admit or deny EPA’s allegations.