E.P.A. issues penalties to facilities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska for Risk Management Plan Violations

"Many facilities have still not complied with the Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act"

The E.P.A. (EPA) recently issued penalties to several facilities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska for inadequate Risk Management Programs (RMP) for hazardous chemicals. The biggest penalty was $7,500.

The penalties were assessed under section 112(r) of the federal Clean Air Act. Section 112(r) requires Risk Management Projects for all public and private facilities that manufacture, process, use, store, or otherwise handle 500 - 20,000 tons of regulated substances. Some of the hazardous chemicals handled by facilities are Ammonia, Chlorine, Propane, Sulfur Dioxide, Formaldehyde and flammables.

"EPA has been conducting numerous inspections, and as a result, has found that some Risk Management Programs (RMP) have fallen short of the regulatory requirements," said Kelly Huynh, EPA's RMP Coordinator.

A Risk Management Project (RMP) requires development of an emergency response program, evaluation of a worst case and more probable case chemical release, operator training, review of the hazards associated with using toxic or flammable substances, operating procedures, and equipment maintenance. RMPs are a tool which help the facility and local emergency responders in protecting the public from accidental chemical releases.

There are 488 facilities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska that need to meet the RMP requirement.

These facilities may consist of :

1) Waste Water Treatment Plants
2) Cold Storage Facilities
3) Refineries
4) Chemical distributors

The following facilities have entered into settlement agreements between March and June of this year, which have corrected their RMP deficiencies:

• Alaska Pacific Seafoods, Kodiak, Alaska
• International Seafood, ISA plant #2, Kodiak, Alaska
• Western Alaska Fisheries, Inc., Kodiak, Alaska
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Inc., Kodiak, Alaska
• Trident Seafoods Corporation, Kodiak, Alaska
• Bakery Chef, Kent, Washington
• Airgas-Nor-Pac, Incorporated (formerly BOC Gases) Seattle, Washington
• JCI Jones Chemicals, Inc., Tacoma, Washington
• Tacoma McMillin Reservoir, Puyallup, Washington
• Solar Grade Silicon LLC, Moses Lake, Washington
• Ajinomoto Frozen Foods, Portland Oregon

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