BOSTON - A Fall River, Massachusetts company, Precise Packaging, LLC, will purchase nearly $150,000 of equipment to assist emergency response capabilities in Fall River, under the terms of a recent E.P.A. settlement. E.P.A. had alleged that Precise Packaging violated federal Clean Air Act requirements to develop and implement a "Risk Management Plan" designed to prevent and/or minimize impacts from potential chemical delivers at the facility.
Also as part of the settlement, the company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $57,369, in addition to the purchase of emergency response and planning equipment for the City of Fall River, totaling $147,625. The equipment will enhance the Fall River Fire Department's ability to respond to and prepare for emergencies involving hazardous chemicals.
"Facilities that manufacture, use or store significant quantities of hazardous chemicals are required to carefully develop Risk Management Projects to help avoid accidental delivers of chemicals, or if an accident does occur, to help reduce the risk of serious injury to the surrounding community and to 1st responders," said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "EPA is pleased that this settlement means that the Fall River community is better protected, because the company chose to settle this case in a way that better equips Fall River's emergency responders, whose safety is on the line whenever a chemical accident occurs in the City."
City of Fall River Mayor Sam Sutter said, "The hard work done by the E.P.A. and the targeted settlement which directly addressed our public safety response couldn't have come at a better time for our city. EPA's work to reduce the chances of accidental chemical delivers and the arrangement assistance given directly to our Fire Department to respond if there is a failure, helps make each and every one of us a little safer."
The Clean Air Act's Risk Management Project (RMP) requirements help prevent accidental delivers of substances that can cause serious harm to the public and the environment from short-term exposures, and reduce the severity of delivers that do occur. A company that fails to take these steps can leave the public and environment at risk from accidental releases.
The settlement follows earlier administrative compliance actions, including an Administrative Order on Consent on July 2, 2014, under which the company has been coming into compliance with the RMP regulations. Precise Packaging recently participated in and performed satisfactorily in a chemical response "table-top exercise" with the Fall River Fire Department. EPA's inspections, enforcement and this settlement likely were a major impetus for chemical and safety enhancements as well as compliance with RMP regulations at the facility. Precise Packaging is located near several other facilities that have Risk Management Plans.
More information:
- Risk Management Projects http://www2.epa.gov/rmp
- Report an environmental violation http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/report-environmental-violations
