A pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturer and its parent company could have prevented an employee’s fatal injuries from an explosion on May 4, 2023, but lacked the required safeguards in a chemical manufacturing process.  An investigation by OSHA identified numerous deficiencies in the facility’s process safety management program for highly hazardous chemicals for the production and...

Respondent operates a yeast manufacturing facility using anhydrous ammonia. Respondent has on-site for use, 102,420 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. Respondent has registered an RMPlan with the EPA for its Facility and has developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for the Facility. Respondent has one RMProgram level 3 covered process. On March 2, 2022, the EPA conducted an on-site inspection...

Respondent owns and operates an ammonia refrigeration system at its food distribution warehouse facility (the Facility). EPA inspectors completed an inspection at the Facility on September 27 through September 29, 2021, to evaluate Respondent’s compliance with CAA 112(r). The respondent’s process at the Facility is a covered process that is subject to the requirements of CAPP in accordance with 40...

Respondent owns, operates, and maintains a refrigeration system that contains approximately 14,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. The refrigeration system, consisting of piping, valves, and equipment, cycles ammonia through various physical states (high-pressure liquid, low-pressure liquid, low-pressure vapor, high-pressure vapor, and then back to high-pressure liquid) and provides refrigeration for...

Respondent is the owner and/or operator of the Facility, which operates a coal gasification manufacturing plant. At this plant, Respondent uses a coal gasification process to produce industrial chemicals from coal. The reaction takes place at high temperatures and pressures in a series of process vessels and piping called process trains. The facility operates two process trains. When one train is taken...

Respondent owns and operates a frozen fruit and vegetable production facility. On September 27, 2021, EPA performed an inspection of the Facility to evaluate the Respondent’s implementation of and compliance with the requirements of Section 112(r) of the CAA, Sections 304-12 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right­ to-Know Act, and Section 103 of the Comprehensive Environmental Response,...

Respondent is the owner and/or operator of the Facility, which has registered an RMPlan with the EPA for its Facility and has developed an RMProgram accidental release prevention program for the Facility. At its Facility: a. Respondent operates an ammonia refrigeration facility. b. Respondent has on-site for use, 14,300 pounds of anhydrous ammonia. c. Respondent has one RMProgram level 3 covered process,...

The respondent is the owner of a chemical manufacturing facility. On September 10, 2020, Complainant issued an information request under Section 114 of the Clean Air Act (“CAA”) and Section 104(e) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (“CERCLA”), 42 U.S.C. § 9603, regarding the Facility to Respondent. Respondent responded to the information request on October...

Respondent owns and operates a facility which is used to produce, bottle, and chill apple juice and cider prior to distribution.  Respondent owns and operates a second facility (“West Facility” ), which is also used to produce, bottle, and chill apple juice and cider prior to distribution. The East Facility and West Facility are sometimes hereinafter collectively referred to as “Facilities.”...

Respondent owns and operates a water treatment plant in MN that has an inventory of chlorine gas at the water treatment plant, which is 360,000 pounds. The threshold quantity of chlorine is 2,500 pounds. Respondent’s RMP registration states that the maximum inventory of anhydrous ammonia at the water treatment plant is 87,583 pounds. The threshold quantity of anhydrous ammonia is 10,000 pounds....

Respondent operated a cold storage warehouse and distribution facility located in RI (the “Facility”). The Facility is located immediately adjacent to a Bay, approximately one-third of a mile from several marinas, just under 1 mile from a few homes, and less than 1.5 miles from an elementary school, a residential neighborhood, and a small airport. At all times relevant to the violations...

Respondent owns and operates a metal parts heat treatment operation in Michigan (the Facility) that maintains a maximum inventory of 60,000 pounds of the regulated toxic substance, anhydrous ammonia, which exceeds the threshold quantity of 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia as set forth in Table 1 at 40 C.F.R. § 68.130. Respondent uses anhydrous ammonia in its heat treatment process. The covered process...