Missouri company to pay $580K EPA fine

LENEXA, Kan. (Legal Newsline) - A Missouri explosive manufacturing facility has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $580,135 to settle allegations of violating the Clean Air Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

EBV Explosives Environmental Company, which does business as General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems - Munitions Services, sent a letter in February 2011 to the Environmental Protection Agency stating stack tests the previous October were above allowed levels.

Announced Dec. 19, according to the EPA violations against the in Carthage, Mo., based company include: operation of a thermal treatment unit without a valid permit, exceeding permitted emission limits for dioxins, furans, hydrogen chloride and chlorine gas with noncompliant operations in a hazardous waste management facility permit from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and failure to operate monitors that record the operating parameters and conditions used to verify compliance with the permit.

Since January 2012 when the EPA and EBV entered into an Administrative Order on Consent, EBV has been required to install equipment to reduce the facility's hydrogen chloride emissions below permitted levels.

Thereafter, the EBV installed a scrubber, made changes to the propellant thermal treatment unit and completed stack testing to show emissions levels are under control.

"EPA's enforcement of these important environmental laws has caused EBV to cut particulate emissions by approximately 1,240 pounds per year and hydrogen chloride and chlorine gas emissions by 200,000 pounds per year," EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said. "EBV's commendable step to install and operate new technology to prevent excess emissions of these chemicals will mean cleaner air and better health for Carthage area residents."

In the settlement, EBV has agreed to provide EPA with monthly documentation that validates their company is in full compliance with the RCRA permit.