U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reaches a settlement with a Massachusetts cold storage warehouse and distribution company for mishandling hazardous chemicals.
Maritime International and its subsidiaries, Bridge Terminal and Connecticut Freezers, have paid more than $195,000 in penalties to settle claims by the EPA that they violated federal laws related to the handling of hazardous chemicals, according to a March 22 EPA news release.
"EPA's action underscores the importance of the safe handling and management of hazardous substances like anhydrous ammonia, and when a company like Maritime International does not comply with its safety obligations, it threatens the safety of our communities,” EPA New England Regional Administrator David Cash said in the release.
According to the release, Maritime violated the Clean Air Act's General Duty Clause, which mandates users of extremely hazardous substances take measures to prevent and mitigate accidental releases, and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, which requires companies to notify emergency response personnel of hazardous chemical presence.
Anhydrous ammonia, an efficient refrigerant with a low global warming potential, is highly corrosive and can cause severe damage to the skin, eyes and lungs and even be fatal in high concentrations, the release reported. It is also flammable and can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition present.
The settlement comes as the EPA claimed Maritime had not taken all the steps required to maintain a safe facility and minimize the impact of accidental ammonia releases at its facilities in New Bedford, Mass., and East Hartford, Conn., following an ammonia release at Maritime's Fish Island, New Bedford facility in 2018, where 3,200 pounds of anhydrous ammonia were released, according to the news release.
In addition to the penalty payment, the company also agreed to perform safety upgrades at its facilities and provide local first responders with emergency response equipment and training, the release reported.
Moving forward, Maritime will perform safety upgrades at two of its New Bedford facilities and provide ammonia-related emergency response training to 26 local first responders and refrigeration operators in the Hartford area, according to the release. Failure to take appropriate steps to limit and mitigate the consequences of accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances endangers the public and the environment.
