NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — Finger Lakes LPG Storage LLC in Savona, New York, will pay $154,000, while Twin Lakes Chemical Inc. in Lockport, N.Y., will pay $40,000, after allegations of Clean Air Act violations, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced.
The Clean Air Act contains a requirement that facilities adopt a risk management plan that includes a hazard assessment to identify potential effects of accidental chemical release. The plan must also contain safety precautions, safe operating procedures, maintenance and employee training measures and an emergency response program.
According to the EPA, Finger Lakes failed to comply with hazard identification and equipment safety requirements. Twin Lakes Chemical, meanwhile, allegedly failed to adequately support, secure and label phosgene equipment and pipes. Phosgene is a substance that can be deadly at room temperature.
“Chemical facilities are required to establish risk management plans in order to prevent and prepare for chemical accidents," said Judith A. Enck, EPA's regional administrator. “By taking steps, such as properly labeling chemicals, properly training employees and providing employee emergency health care, chemical facilities can protect the communities where they are located.”