EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Louisiana

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 29, 2012


EPA Approves Emergency Fuel Waiver for Louisiana

WASHINGTON - As Hurricane Isaac makes landfall in the U.S. Gulf Coast, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exercised its authority under the Clean Air Act to temporarily waive certain federal clean gasoline requirements for Louisiana. This waiver will allow greater flexibility for the fuel distribution system to support an adequate supply.

This waiver was granted by EPA in coordination with the Department of Energy (DOE), at the request of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson determined that extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist, which are likely to result in a shortage of gasoline compliant with federal regulations. The federal waiver will help ensure an adequate supply of gasoline in Louisiana until normal supply to the region can be restored.

The waiver applies to 7.8 psi low Reid vapor pressure (RVP) requirements for the State of Louisiana. The waiver is effective for 10 days and allows the sale of 9.0 psi conventional gasoline in the following fourteen Louisiana parishes: Ascension, E. Baton Rouge, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Point Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. Mary, and W. Baton Rouge. EPA is continuing to actively monitor the fuel supply situation as a result of Hurricane Isaac, and is ready to act expeditiously if extreme and unusual supply circumstances exist in other areas in Louisiana with a 7.8 psi RVP fuel requirement. As required by law, EPA and DOE evaluated the situation and determined that granting a short-term waiver was consistent with the public interest. To mitigate any impacts on air quality the Clean Air Act provides strict criteria for when fuels waivers may be granted, and requires that waivers be limited as much as possible in terms of their geographic scope and duration.

More information: http://www.epa.gov/enforcement/air/fuel-waivers.html

R144

Talisman Energy to pay $62,000 penalty for violations at 52 natural gas facilities in Pa.

Press release:

Contact: Roy Seneca seneca.roy@epa.gov  215-814-5567

Talisman Energy to pay $62,000 penalty for violations at 52 natural gas facilities in Pa.

PHILADELPHIA (July 25, 2012) -- Talisman Energy USA Inc. will pay a $62,457 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous chemical reporting requirements at 52 hydraulic fracturing facilities throughout Pennsylvania that include natural gas well sites and compressor stations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. Talisman discovered the violations and self-disclosed them to the EPA.

The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires companies that store specified amounts of hazardous chemicals to submit material safety data and lists of chemicals on site with state and local emergency response agencies and the local fire departments. The safety data describes health risks associated with the chemicals and safe handling instructions. The lists of chemicals set forth the types and quantities of chemicals present on site.

Compliance with these requirements is important for the health and safety of facility occupants and first responders in the event of discharge or accidental exposure to hazardous chemicals. The required information also provides valuable information to emergency planners.

The settlement reflects Talisman’s good faith cooperation with EPA, and its compliance efforts in self-disclosing and swiftly correcting the violations. As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied the alleged violations.

In a consent agreement with EPA, the company has agreed to pay the $62,457 penalty for failing to file required chemical information for one or more of the past three years at each of the facilities included in the settlement.  

For more information on EPCRA and EPA’s toxic chemical reporting program, visit http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/epcra/index.htm .

Chemical Producer Faces Fine for Environmental Violations at Fairfield, Conn. Facility

News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
July 19, 2012

Contact:  David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

Chemical Producer Faces Fine for Environmental Violations at Fairfield, Conn. Facility

(Boston, Mass. – July 19, 2012) – A chemical producer faces an EPA fine of $93,900 for failing to report the use and storage of hazardous chemicals at its Fairfield, Conn. facility, in violation of the federal right-to-know law.

According to a recent EPA complaint, the company, 5N Plus, Inc., violated the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPCRA) by failing to report hazardous chemical inventory information, known as Tier II reports, to the fire department, and the local and state emergency responders. The company also failed to report the use and potential release of lead and selenium to the state and federal Toxic Release Inventory, a national database of toxic chemical use available to the public. 

During a June 2011 inspection of the facility, EPA determined that 5N Plus had failed to follow the reporting requirements by failing to include gallium trichloride (an extremely hazardous substance) in its inventory of hazardous chemicals for 2010, and by failing to submit Tier II reports for reporting years 2008 and 2009 for chlorine gas, lead and gallium trichloride.  Following further review, EPA also determined that the company had failed to submit accurate Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) reports for lead in 2008 and 2009, and for selenium in 2010.

Accurate reporting of hazardous chemicals at facilities is critically important to ensure that emergency responders are aware of potential hazards that are present at a facility in the case of an emergency so that they can take adequate precautions to protect public health as well as their own well-being.  Further, the company’s failure to file these required forms deprives the community of its right to know about chemicals stored, used, and potentially released in the neighborhood.

After the two inspections, a release of chlorine gas at the facility resulted in area-wide evacuations and worker exposure to chlorine gas. Subsequent to the release, the company moved its gallium trichloride manufacture to another facility.

The proposed penalty includes $40,500 for failure to file Tier II forms for 2008, 2009 and 2010 and $53,400 for failure to file TRI forms for reporting years 2008, 2009 and 2010.

More information:

- Tier II Chemical Reporting (http://www.epa.gov/oem/content/epcra/tier2.htm)

- Toxic Release Inventory Reporting (http://www.epa.gov/tri/)

#  #  #

Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative in Luana, Iowa, to Pay $33,880 Penalty for Community Right-to-Know Violations

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative in Luana, Iowa, to Pay $33,880 Penalty for Community Right-to-Know Violations

Contact Information: Ben Washburn, 913-551-7364, washburn.ben@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., May 29, 2012) - Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative, a cheese manufacturer, has agreed to pay a $33,880 civil penalty to the United States to settle two violations of environmental regulations related to the public reporting of toxic chemicals at its facility in Luana, Iowa.

In settlement of this matter, Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative will also complete a supplemental environmental project. Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative will purchase emergency response equipment for the Luana, Iowa, fire department valued at approximately $10,786.

According to an administrative consent agreement and final order filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., in May 2011, the Agency requested information from Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative and found the company had failed to submit reports to EPA and the State of Iowa concerning quantities of certain toxic chemicals that were manufactured, processed or otherwise used at the facility during 2009. Those chemicals were nitric acid and nitrate compounds. Nitrate compounds are known to be harmful to human health and toxic vapors of nitric acid may cause severe injury, burns, or death. During calendar year 2009, the facility manufactured, processed, or otherwise used 187,000 pounds of nitric acid and 71,000 pounds of nitrate compounds.

Submission of the annual toxic chemical reports is a requirement of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Under EPCRA regulations, companies of certain size are required to submit annual reports to EPA and state authorities listing the amounts of regulated chemicals that their facilities release into the environment through routine activities or as a result of accidents. The reports provide an important source of information to emergency planners and responders, and residents of surrounding communities.

EPCRA was enacted by Congress in 1986 as an outgrowth of concern over the protection of the public from chemical emergencies and dangers. After the catastrophic accidental release of methyl isocyanate at Union Carbide’s Bhopal, India, facility in December 1984, and a later toxic release from a West Virginia chemical plant, it was evident that national public disclosure of toxic release inventory information was needed.

# # #

National Cooperative Refinery Association to Pay $700,000 in Penalties for Violations at Kansas Refinery and Storage Facility

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

National Cooperative Refinery Association to Pay $700,000 in Penalties for Violations at Kansas Refinery and Storage Facility

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., March 27, 2012) - The National Cooperative Refinery Association (NCRA) has agreed to pay $700,000 in penalties to the United States and the State of Kansas, and perform a series of injunctive relief actions, to settle violations of federal environmental laws and the Kansas State Implementation Plan at its petroleum refinery and underground storage facility in McPherson County, Kan.

As part of a consent decree lodged yesterday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., NCRA will pay $475,000 in penalties to the United States and $225,000 to the State of Kansas. As a part of the settlement, NCRA has agreed to spend approximately $745,000 on supplemental environmental projects involving the purchase of emergency response equipment and services for the benefit of citizens and emergency response agencies in McPherson County.

NCRA owns and operates an 85,000-barrel-per-day petroleum refinery on Iron Horse Road in the city of McPherson, Kan., and an associated underground product storage facility in the nearby unincorporated community of Conway, Kan.

According to a complaint by the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, NCRA:

• Violated the federal Clean Air Act (CAA) by failing to maintain and operate the refinery’s Unicracker Unit and associated air pollution control equipment in a manner consistent with good air pollution control practices, resulting in a 20-day flaring event that caused significant emissions of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere.
• Violated the CAA and the Kansas State Implementation Plan by exceeding emission limits contained in a construction permit for the refinery’s Unicracker Unit heater and Hydrogen Unit heater.
• Violated the CAA by failing to fully implement a Risk Management Program at the refinery and the underground product storage facility.
• Violated the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) by failing to make timely reports of releases of hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide during four separate flaring events at the refinery, including the previously mentioned 20-day flaring event.
• Violated the EPCRA by submitting incomplete Tier II reports, which are supposed to include the identity and inventory of on-site chemicals, to emergency responders.
• Violated the EPCRA by failing to submit an accurate and complete Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) form to EPA.

The consent decree requires NCRA to perform a series of injunctive relief actions to address its non-compliance issues and enhance future compliance through greater emphasis on the Risk Management Program. These include performing an applicability study at the refinery and underground storage facility, providing detailed tank inspection timelines and information, and documenting the resolution of process hazard analyses and compliance audit findings.

For the CAA violations, the relief involves training for start-up procedures and revision to applicable limits for the refinery’s Unicracker Unit Heater.

Relief associated with the EPCRA and CERCLA violations includes completion of a compliance review for Tier II, TRI and episodic release reports. It also includes the submission of an associated report to EPA, retroactive release reporting, and release report training.

NCRA’s supplemental environmental projects, totaling at least $745,000, are designed to further the goals of EPCRA and the Risk Management Program, which seek to prevent accidental chemical releases, minimize the consequences of accidents that do occur, and enable local emergency responders to plan and respond effectively to chemical accidents.

The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and final approval by the court.

# # #

News Release from Progress Energy

03/08/2012

Progress Energy implementing post-Fukushima lessons learned

RALEIGH, N.C. (March 8, 2012) – In the year since the tsunamis that caused accidents at nuclear power plants in Fukushima, Japan, Progress Energy has worked with the U.S. nuclear industry, the Nuclear Energy Institute and global resources to understand the events and implement changes to make the company’s plants even safer and better protected.

The company’s response includes in-depth inspections and analyses, physical changes, additional equipment to monitor and respond to potential emergencies, and plans for additional safety and security initiatives.

Progress Energy Chief Nuclear Officer James Scarola has been named as a special liaison for the U.S. nuclear industry’s Fukushima response. In that role, Scarola is helping lead the continuing effort to analyze lessons learned from the Fukushima events and response, and work with regulatory agencies, the industry and other stakeholders to implement enhancement plans at each of the nation’s 104 commercial nuclear plants.

Immediately following the March 11, 2011, accident at Fukushima Daiichi, Progress Energy conducted thorough inspections at each of its four nuclear sites located in the Carolinas and Florida. Plant personnel reviewed each plant’s emergency-response capabilities, written procedures and engineering specifications to verify each site’s ability to respond in the unlikely event of station blackout or record flood.

In 2012, Progress Energy is working to establish industry best practices and improve the safety standards and margin. The U.S. approach to safety at nuclear power plants is based on three layers of safety: protection, mitigation and emergency response. A revised strategy represents a significant expansion of the second layer — the ability to protect the plant and public in extreme external events that may exceed those for which the plant was designed.

Meanwhile, the nuclear industry is in the process of reanalyzing natural disasters, including earthquakes and flooding, to assess the state of readiness in light of the Japan events. U.S. nuclear companies are also adding emergency equipment, such as portable pumps and generators, to perform key safety functions if off-site electrical supplies and several backup power sources are lost to permanently installed safety systems due to natural and/or man-made causes.

Among the additional pieces of equipment, Progress Energy is adding, at each station, a high-capacity pump to maintain the ability to cool the reactor core in an unlikely accident, additional diesel generators for power restoration to critical equipment, and other associated support components (i.e., lights, fans, small generators, direct-current power supplies, pre-staged tool kits, fuel transfer equipment, hoses, cords, fittings, etc.). These systems and pieces of equipment are in addition to the numerous layers of safety measures and systems previously in place.

“At Progress Energy, we are committed to the relentless pursuit of safety,” Scarola said. “We know we need to learn every possible lesson from Japan, and apply those lessons in our quest for continuous improvement. While our nuclear power plants are built to the highest standards, it’s our job to continue to raise those standards by learning from Fukushima — just as we have from best practices and past challenges alike. While there are numerous studies that have validated the safety of our U.S. nuclear plants, our commitment is to make the future operation even safer than it is today.”

Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., is a Fortune 500 energy company with 23,000 megawatts of generation capacity and approximately $9 billion in annual revenues. Progress Energy includes two major electric utilities that serve about 3.1 million customers in the Carolinas and Florida. The company has earned the Edison Electric Institute's Edison Award, the industry's highest honor, in recognition of its operational excellence, and was the first utility to receive the prestigious J.D. Power and Associates Founder's Award for customer service. The company is pursuing a balanced strategy for a secure energy future, which includes aggressive energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system. Progress Energy celebrated a century of service in 2008. Visit the company’s website at www.progress-energy.com.

# # #

News Release from EPA Region 2 - New Position

New EPA Position to Enhance Community Involvement

on St. Croix

Contact: Mary Mears 212 637 3673; mears.mary@epa.gov

(New York, NY – March 8, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that it will for the first time station a community involvement coordinator for the U.S. Virgin Islands on St. Croix. In mid-March, Geoffrey M. Garrison will begin his tenure in the Virgin Islands and will be handling a combination of community outreach and some emergency response work. Specifically, Geoff will oversee activities at the shutdown HOVENSA facility, respond to pollution releases and support the work of the U.S. Virgins Islands Recycling Partnership.

Geoff has been with the EPA’s Caribbean Environmental Protection Division in San Juan, Puerto Rico since 2000, where he did emergency response work under the Superfund program. He has responded to large scale emergencies, including the World Trade Center attack, Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi and the CAPECO Refinery explosion in Cataño, Puerto Rico. At the local level, Geoff worked in close cooperation with the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources to address spills at the former St. Croix Alumina site, HOVENSA, and other oil or chemical releases.

For the last four years, Geoff has served in the U.S. Army Reserves, holding the rank of Colonel, as the U.S. Virgin Islands Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer in St. Croix. In this capacity, he is responsible for planning, coordinating with local, territorial and federal agencies throughout the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has served during major storms as liaison to the National Guard and Virgin Islands Territorial Management Agency, assisting the Defense Coordinating Officer in integrating active military support if requested by the U.S. Virgin Islands government.

Prior to joining the EPA, Geoff served for 10 years as an Engineer Officer in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of Captain. He served as commander of a Combat Heavy Engineer Company that deployed to Desert Shield/Storm in Iraq. He also served as Resident Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Athens, Greece, and Assistant Professor of Military Science at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez campus.

Geoff holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. Geoff is bilingual and fluent in Spanish.

In light of ongoing pollution problems related to various St. Croix facilities and the recent shutdown of the HOVENSA oil refinery, the EPA determined that it would be beneficial to assign someone with technical skills to the position on St. Croix. Along with his technical training, skills and experience, Geoff brings to this new position a strong understanding of community involvement, having planned and participated in outreach to impacted communities throughout the Caribbean.

Follow EPA Region 2 on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/eparegion2 and visit our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/eparegion2.

12-030                                                            #   #   #

News Release from EPA Region 10

Seeing no levels of concern, EPA curtails emergency air monitoring at BP refinery fire site near Bellingham, Washington

 Contact Info: Mark MacIntyre, EPA Public Affaris, macintyre.mark@epa.gov, 206-369-7999 (cell)

(Seattle, Washington) - As cleanup begins in earnest at the BP refinery fire site, 20 miles northwest of Bellingham, Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air monitoring team is standing down after seeing no measurable threats to public health from airborne pollutants related to the fire.

As EPA responders arrived at the scene last night, a team of four EPA contractors, accompanied by a BP Industrial Hygienist, conducted air monitoring at several locations around the perimeter of the facility, including locations downwind.

The sweep was completed by midnight and the results were compared to similar locations that BP responders had monitored earlier in the day. EPA measured for elevated Volatile Organic Compounds, particulate matter, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide. According to Andy Smith, EPA Federal On-Scene Coordinator, "No readingswere found to be above background or demonstrate any level of concern."

Once the site was stabilized and secured, EPA and Department of Ecology responders completed their assessment and demobilized.

Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC to Pay $10,150 Penalty

Thursday, February 2, 2012
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations


Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC to Pay $10,150 for Risk Management Plan Violations at Council Bluffs Ethanol Plant


Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., Feb. 2, 2012) - Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC has agreed to pay a $10,150 civil penalty and spend at least $38,729 on a supplemental environmental project for failing to file a risk management plan and implement risk management regulations at its dry-mill ethanol plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

According to an administrative consent agreement and final order filed by EPA Region 7 in Kansas City, Kan., an inspection of the ethanol plant in January 2010 found that the company had not filed a risk management plan for the facility, as required by the federal Clean Air Act.

Under the Clean Air Act, the Council Bluffs facility was required to file a risk management plan because it had exceeded the 10,000-pound threshold for anhydrous ammonia, an extremely hazardous chemical. Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy was storing approximately 28,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at the time of the EPA inspection.

As part of its settlement with EPA, Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy has agreed to perform a supplemental environmental project, through which it will spend at least $38,729 to purchase emergency response equipment for the Council Bluffs and Lewis Township fire departments.

By agreeing to the settlement, the company has certified that the Council Bluffs ethanol plant is now in compliance with federal Risk Management Program regulations.

EPA enforces the Risk Management Program regulations of the Clean Air Act with a goal of preventing accidental chemical releases and minimizing the impact of releases or other accidents that may occur. The establishment of Risk Management Programs and formulation of Risk Management Plans helps companies, industries and municipalities operate responsibly, assists emergency responders by providing vital information necessary to address accidents and other incidents, protects the environment by preventing and minimizing damage from accidental releases, and keeps communities safer.

# # #

Food Processing Facility to Pay Nearly $700K in Penalties

News release from EPA Region 9:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2012                                                          

DOJ (202) 514-2007 / TDD (866) 544-5309                 
EPA (415) 947-4270


SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY WILL PAY NEARLY $700,000 IN PENALTIES,
SPEND $6 MILLION TO UPDATE REFRIGERATION SYSTEM SAFETY

Upgrades at South San Francisco Salami Factory Following Hazardous Ammonia Cloud that Left 17 Hospitalized

WASHINGTON – South San Francisco food processor Columbus Manufacturing Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Columbus Foods LLC, has agreed to pay a penalty and make significant upgrades to settle Clean Air Act violations, the Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.  The case stems from two releases of anhydrous ammonia that occurred in 2009 at its manufacturing facility located in South San Francisco, Calif.  

The releases were the result of Columbus’ failure of its general duty of care to identify hazards and to maintain a safe facility and its failure to comply with regulatory requirements for process safety management under Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act.

“This settlement appropriately penalizes Columbus for violations of the Clean Air Act that resulted in two illegal releases of poisonous gas that put the community at risk, including one release that caused the hospitalization of people in the affected community,” said Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General of the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the Department of Justice. “Today’s agreement will prevent future violations of the Clean Air Act safety standards by requiring Columbus to upgrade its refrigeration technology and emergency notification system.”  

“Columbus is responsible for letting plumes of poisonous gas escape into the open air,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest.  “Our goal is to safeguard neighbors and workers by requiring critical improvements to the company’s plant to prevent these industrial accidents from happening again.”  

As part of the consent decree announced today, Columbus will pay a penalty of $685,446 and spend approximately $6 million converting its refrigeration system to a safer technology that uses glycol and ammonia.  The company will also improve its alarm and ammonia release notification procedures.   

The first accidental ammonia release, in February 2009, sent 217 pounds of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Six months later in August 2009, the plant again released an ammonia cloud, this time approximately 200 pounds of anhydrous ammonia was released into the atmosphere.  

The August incident resulted in the evacuation of all facility employees and several neighboring businesses.  Nearly 30 people from the downwind Genentech campus sought medical attention and 17 individuals were hospitalized.  One person remained hospitalized for four days.  In addition, off-ramps from Highway 101 and several local streets were shut down as a result of the release.  

EPA took action following the August 2009 incident, ordering Columbus to complete initial upgrades to its ammonia refrigeration system, including the replacement of safety relief valves and components with any signs of corrosion, and the proper labeling of all its piping.  In 2011, the company paid $850,000 in fines to San Mateo County as a result of the incident.   

Anhydrous ammonia is considered a poisonous gas.  Exposure to its vapors can cause temporary blindness and eye damage, and irritation of the skin, mouth, throat, respiratory tract and mucous membranes.  Prolonged exposure to anhydrous ammonia vapor at high concentrations can lead to serious lung damage and even death.  Anhydrous ammonia is one of the listed extremely hazardous substances to which Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act applies.

Enforcement of the general duty of care and of the regulatory requirements under Section 112(r)(1) and (7) of the Clean Air Act  is critical to ensuring that industry focuses on the safety of the public and the environment.  

For more information, including a copy of the consent decree lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, please visit:  www.epa.gov/region09/superfund/emerprep.html

# # #

Oregon Potato Company Pays EPA Penalty for Failing to Report

News release from EPA:

Oregon Potato Company pays EPA penalty for failing to report ammonia release

Wally Moon, EPA Preparedness and Prevention Unit Manager, 206-553-6323, moon.wally@epa.gov
Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov

(Seattle—Jan. 26, 2012) Oregon Potato Company failed to report an anhydrous ammonia release at their facility in Warden, Washington and will pay the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a $66,235 penalty.

On July 2, 2009, the facility released approximately 300 pounds of anhydrous ammonia into the environment, according to the EPA settlement. The facility, located at 1900 First Avenue West in Warden, Washington, produces dried and dehydrated frozen potato products.


According to Wally Moon, EPA Preparedness and Prevention Unit Manager in Seattle, these cases are about protecting workers, emergency responders and the community.


“When unintended chemical releases occur, every minute counts if it is an emergency,” said EPA’s Moon. “Emergency responders need to be notified promptly to react effectively.”


The leak occurred when a circuit breaker failed, causing a pressure relief valve to open releasing the anhydrous ammonia. EPA alleges that Oregon Potato failed to immediately notify local and state agencies about the release. While no injuries were reported at the time of the incident, ammonia is a pungent, toxic gas that attacks skin, eyes, throat, and lungs and can cause serious injury or death.


The ammonia release and the failure to notify appropriate agencies are violations of the federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).


For information on EPA's Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, visithttp://www.epa.gov/compliance/civil/epcra/epcraenfstatreq.html


For more about toxic effects of Anhydrous Ammonia (NIOSH GUIDE): http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0028.html