LEGAL NEWSLINE

WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Two New England companies that store and distribute hazardous chemicals will pay more than $179,000 in penalties and donate about $43,000 worth of equipment and training, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday.

Since 2009, EPA New England has brought 13 similar Clean Air Act enforcement actions. These latest settlement agreements with EPA's New England office were made by Hubbard-Hall Inc., a chemical storage and distribution company based in Waterbury, Conn., and by Monson Companies, Inc., which is based in Leominster, Mass.

The two companies are settling violation of federal laws regulating hazardous chemicals. They will also provide training to local fire departments.

The claims and agreements were the result of a series of inspections that EPA New England has done in the last two years at chemical warehouse and distribution facilities in an effort to address compliance issues. The two agreements with Hubbard-Hall settled claims that the company failed to comply with the Clean Air Act at its Connecticut and Massachusetts facilities, according to the EPA announcement.

The company will pay $111,290 in fines. The company will also buy hazardous atmosphere detection equipment for the Wilmington, Mass., fire department and provide training in the use of this equipment, at a total cost of $10,887.

Hubbard-Hall failed to have the required risk management plan, or RMP, at both facilities, the EPA said. These plans were necessary because the facilities stored large quantities of highly concentrated hydrofluoric acid.

Monson will pay $68,100 in fines, the EPA said. According to the announcement, it will also donate emergency response equipment for use by local emergency response teams and will invite those teams to the facility to participate in a training exercise, at a total cost of $32,975.