BOSTON (Sept. 19, 2024) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Catania-Spagna Corporation (Catania) to resolve alleged violations of Section 311 of the Clean Water Act, stemming from a peanut oil spill at the company’s headquarters in Ayer, Massachusetts.

The EPA alleged that the company released 6,830 gallons of peanut oil into a neighboring wetland from a railcar with a faulty valve. The wetland drains to an adjacent brook which flows ultimately into the Merrimack River. Under the Consent Agreement and Final Order, which initiated and concluded EPA’s enforcement action simultaneously, the company will pay a $47,813 penalty.

"Companies have responsibilities to prevent spills," said EPA New England Regional Administrator David W. Cash. "This settlement highlights EPA’s commitment to protecting America’s waterways and ensures communities, wildlife, and the natural resources they depend on are protected from substances that can harm human health or the environment."

Catania, a national producer and distributor of food oils, spent more than $467,000 to clean up the spilled oil and plans to spend an additional $1 million on improvement projects at its Ayer facility to help prevent future spills.