Double hazard: BP oil spill workers were sickened by toxic release from nearby facility
U.S. finalizes settlement with Georgia-based Millard Refrigerated Services over ammonia release
The EPA and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have announced a final settlement with Millard Refrigerated Services that resolves alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act and Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act for an airborne release of ammonia from Millard’s Theodore, Alabama, facility in 2010. Millard will pay a $3 million penalty for the violations that sickened 152 people responding to the BP oil spill.
“EPA is serious about holding companies that threaten people’s health and safety accountable,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “It’s imperative that companies that use and store potentially-hazardous materials like ammonia ensure their operations do not pose a health risk to their employees or the public.”
“The release of ammonia created significant health problems,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement underscores how lapses in environmental management can have serious consequences, and today we are holding Millard accountable for this failure to ensure the safety of its workers and the surrounding community.”