HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Three Alabama companies have reached settlement agreements with the Environmental Protection Agency resolving allegations that the companies violated the Chemical Accident Prevention Provisions clause of the Clean Air Act.
A Blue Bell Creameries plant in Sylacauga has agreed to pay $8,200 in civil penalties. Plastic container manufacturer DPC Enterprises out of Mobile will pay a penalty of $5,022, and the Gadsden branch of Koch Foods will pay $3,000, according to an EPA release.
The agreements were made in principle between June and August of this year.
The CAPP clause aims to prevent accidental releases of extremely hazardous substances and to minimize the consequences of those releases that do occur.
"These settlements emphasize the importance for facilities to control and minimize the risks associated with hazardous substances,” said Keriema Newman, Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division in EPA’s Southeast Region. “Maintaining equipment and instituting procedures, including those for emergency preparedness, are necessary factors to protect human health and the environment.”
Other fines levied against companies in the Southeast region include a Kroger distribution center in Memphis and a Kroger-operated dairy facility in Murfreesboro. A Koch Foods plant in Mississippi was also cited for violations involving an ammonia refrigeration process for cold food storage.