Arizona
Company to Pay $182K Penalty to Settle Clean Air Act Claims at its Phoenix
Facility
Under
settlement, facility owners will pay fine, make safety improvements
Contact
Information
Joshua
Alexander (alexander.joshua@epa.gov)
415-214-5940
SAN
FRANCISCO
– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with
Reddy Ice Phoenix for EPA’s Clean Air Act (CAA) findings at its Phoenix‑based
facility. The company will pay $182,659 in civil penalties.
Following an
EPA inspection of Reddy Ice’s Phoenix-based ice manufacturing facility in June
2019, EPA determined that Reddy Ice failed to comply with Clean Air Act Section
112(r) rules to prevent accidental release, which requires that facilities
storing more than 10,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia are properly designed,
operated, and maintained to minimize the risk of an accidental release.
Specifically,
EPA determined that Reddy Ice failed to properly design its refrigeration
system to comply with applicable design codes and standards, maintain inspection
and testing records on certain equipment, correct engineering control
deficiencies related to ammonia detectors, emergency exhaust fans, and alarms,
and did not act upon compliance audit findings.
“It is every
company’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the law, including critical
safety regulations under the Clean Air Act for handling dangerous chemicals
like anhydrous ammonia,” said
EPA Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “Failure to
do so can endanger public health and safety, especially for those in
underserved and vulnerable communities close to facilities with ammonia
refrigeration systems.”
Anhydrous
ammonia can cause serious, often irreversible health effects when released. In
addition to potential harmful effects from inhalation of or skin contact with
this substance, it is highly flammable. Anhydrous ammonia is considered an
extremely hazardous substance.
About
Clean Air Act Section 112(r):
Section 112(r)
of the Clean Air Act requires companies of all sizes that use certain listed
regulated flammable and toxic substances to develop and implement a Risk
Management Program. A properly developed Risk Management Program includes:
- A
hazard assessment that details the potential effects of an accidental
release, an accident history of the last five years, and an evaluation of
worst-case and alternative accidental release scenarios.
- A
prevention program that includes safety precautions and maintenance,
monitoring, and employee training measures.
- An
emergency response program that spells out emergency health care, employee
training measures and procedures for informing the public and response
agencies (e.g., the fire department) should an accident occur.
About
Anhydrous Ammonia Accidents
Thousands of
facilities nationwide make, use, and store extremely hazardous substances,
including anhydrous ammonia. Catastrophic accidents, historically about 150
each year, at facilities, which include ammonia refrigeration facilities,
result in fatalities and serious injuries, evacuations, and other harm to human
health and the environment. EPA inspects these facilities as part of the
Agency’s National Compliance Initiative, which seeks to reduce risk to human
health and the environment by decreasing the likelihood of accidental releases
and mitigating the consequences of chemical accidents.
For more
information on reporting possible violations of environmental laws and
regulations visit EPA’s enforcement
reporting website.
For more
information on Clean Air Act Section 112(r) visit EPA’s Fact
Sheet: Clean Air Act Section 112(r): Accidental Release Prevention / Risk
Management Plan Rule website.
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