EPA, DOJ, OSHA Crack Down on Violators

Two agencies and the Department of Justice (DOJ) cited three different organizations for health, safety and environmental violations.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has fined BP Products of North America, Inc. $2.4 million for unsafe operations at the company's Oregon, OH refinery. The inspection cataloged violations similar to those found during the investigation of the fatal explosion at the Texas City, TX refinery that claimed the lives of 15 workers and injured more than 170 others.

The inspection identified more than 30 violations at the Ohio plant. BP has 15 working days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupation Safety and Health Review Commission.

The DOJ and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced a partial settlement of a case alleging violations of the New Source Review (NSR) provisions of the Clean Air Act against the Alabama Power Company coal-fired plant near West Jefferson, AL. This consent decree will reduce emissions of harmful sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the plant. These new pollution controls, as well as additional measure required by the decree, are expected to cost more than $200 million.

This settlement resolves the claim filed by the federal government in 2001 as part of an initiative to bring operators of coal-fired power plants into compliance with the NSR provisions of the Clean Air Act.

3M Co. has agreed to pay a $1.5 million penalty to the EPA for 244 violations of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The company neither admitted nor denied any wrongdoing in the agreement. The alleged violations are  related to 3M's use of various chemicals including those used to make Teflon and Scotchgard.

This fine is considered large by EPA standards.