Following the discovery of potential safety hazards during inspections, two Massachusetts-based production facilities agreed to pay fines and follow U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates to improve chemical handling in order to better protect the public and first responders.
Performance Food Group Inc. and Solutia Inc., both of Springfield, Massachusetts, agreed to conform to EPA requirements, an EPA release said. Performance Food Group utilizes anhydrous ammonia in on-site refrigerants, while Solutia uses vinyl acetate monomer at its chemical plant.
Performance Food, which was found to be lacking a risk management plan, will pay a fine of $184,717 to settle claims of violating part of the Clean Air Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, by under-reporting the use of ammonia and lead-containing batteries, theoretically increasing the potential for chemical accidents, the EPA said.
Solutia, which uses highly flammable chemicals including vinyl acetate monomer, a known respiratory irritant, agreed to pay a $15,222 penalty and implement an environmental program valued at nearly $60,000 to improve local emergency response systems equipment.
"Under these recent agreements, both companies have stepped up to the plate and worked with EPA to make sure they corrected the issues our inspectors identified," Deb Szaro, who serves as acting regional administrator for EPA's New England office, said in the release. "Federal air and reporting laws help protect public health, first responders, and our environment."
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