Demakes Enterprises, a company that uses ammonia in its refrigeration system, was recently required to spend to pay penalties and make upgrades to its systems after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found it in violation of the Clean Air Act and federal laws.
The EPA said the violations that could have hurt its employees and the public. The company is now in compliance, according to the EPA.
The Lynn, Massachusetts-based company owns and operates a cooking, packaging, meat-processing and storage location and sells items under the labels "Thin 'n Trim" and "Old Neighborhood," according to the EPA announcement. The company was found to have violated the Clean Air Act due to its mishandling of anhydrous ammonia. It also violated the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act by neglecting to properly report the amount of ammonia that was in use and failing to report the presence of sulfuric acid in the facility.
The hazards in the Demakes Enterprises facility cost it $300,000 in safety upgrades in order to comply with the laws that were violated. The company will also have to pay a penalty of $132,183 for violating EPA standards.
Since the violations were revealed, Demakes has "provided information on how it addressed the conditions and it is now in compliance with both laws," the EPA reported.
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