Two companies will pay nearly $260,000 combined after regulators found violations of federal environmental and safety requirements at their respective facilities in Springfield, Mass.
Eastman Chemical subsidiary Solutia Inc. will pay a civil penalty of $15,222 after an Environmental Protection Agency inspection found concerns relating to compliance with the Clean Air Act.
The facility produces synthetic organic chemical products — including plastics, adhesives and resins — in part with highly flammable vinyl acetate monomer. The EPA said that the company corrected the issues and is now compliant with federal laws.
Solutia will also allocate $59,779 to donate equipment and safety gear to first responders in the city of Springfield.
In addition, Performance Food Group, which operates a warehouse about three miles away from Solutia, will pay $184,717 under a settlement with the EPA.
An inspection found potentially unsafe conditions and Clean Air Act violations relating to PFG's use of anhydrous ammonia for its refrigeration system. The company did not file a file a risk management plan as required when storing large amounts of the chemical, which can be flammable and cause skin, eye and lung irritation.
PFG also failed to report lead contained in lead-acid batteries as required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, which helps inform emergency responders about potential hazards.
The company has since complied with federal law and filed a risk management plan, as well as certified that its other nine facilities around the U.S. met those standards.
"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," said Deb Szaro, acting regional administrator of the EPA's New England office.
