Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a series of enforcement actions to address safety plan deficiencies at eight facilities in Arizona, California, and Nevada that store or use certain chemicals. The Clean Air Act mandates these facilities to develop risk management plans outlining the potential effects of chemical accidents, preventive measures, and emergency response procedures.
“It’s imperative to the safety of local communities and emergency responders – and it’s the law – that facilities with flammable and toxic chemicals act to prevent accidents and to have proper response procedures in place,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “These enforcement actions represent EPA’s commitment to holding accountable facilities that have failed to follow our nation’s critical chemical safety laws.”
At the K2 Pure Solutions Nocal facility in Pittsburg, Calif., which manufactures bleach, chlorine, and hydrochloric acid, significant safety issues were found during an investigation beginning in 2020. Issues included incomplete documentation of the facility's pressure relief system, delayed addressing of safety recommendations, and inadequate emergency response equipment testing procedures.
In August 2021, EPA ordered K2 Pure Solutions Nocal to address these deficiencies. By April 2024, a settlement was reached requiring the company to pay an $85,189 civil penalty and address remaining issues such as replacing instruments in hazardous areas, moving a chlorine pressure relief device discharge location, completing a safety study on discharge locations for pressure relief devices, updating leak repair procedures, and certifying current testing of all critical interlocks and instruments.
Additionally, K2 will provide Contra Costa Health Services with $264,990 worth of emergency response equipment and $98,041 for chlorine emergency response training through a supplemental environmental project (SEP).
Penalties were also assessed against several other facilities for late submission of Risk Management Plans (RMPs):
- Tolleson Dairy (Tolleson, Ariz.) - $2,000 penalty; processes milk using anhydrous ammonia.
- Holcim Solutions and Products US LLC (Garden Grove, Calif.) - $2,000 penalty; involved in paint manufacturing using toluene diisocyanate.
- North Brawley Geothermal Project (Brawley, Calif.) - $1,600 penalty; geothermal power plant using isopentane.
- City of Pasadena Water and Power (Pasadena, Calif.) - $2,000 penalty; water treatment plant using chlorine.
- Hazen Nevada Terminal (Hazen Nev.) - $1,600 penalty; petroleum bulk terminal storing propane.
- Carlin Nevada Terminal (Carlin Nev.) - $1,600 penalty; petroleum bulk terminal storing propane.
- PPG Reno DC (McCarran Nev.) - $2,000 penalty; chemical distribution center storing flammable products.
For more information about the National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives on reducing risks of accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities or EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region activities:
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