The US Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with Pitman Farms for violations of federal chemical safety and reporting requirements following three ammonia releases at its poultry processing facility located in Sanger, Calif. Pitman Farms, which sells poultry from its Sanger facility, will pay a $242,980 civil penalty and perform two local environmental projects valued at nearly $200,000.
EPA’s action is a result of its November 2014 inspection that uncovered violations of the federal Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program, designed to prevent the accidental release of extremely hazardous substances to the air. The inspection was prompted by a release of 2,700 pounds of anhydrous ammonia at the facility in September 2014 that led to the hospitalization of 15 employees. Additional smaller releases of anhydrous ammonia occurred in May 2016 and July 2016.“Companies using hazardous chemicals must take steps to ensure the safety of nearby residents and their workers,” said Alexis Strauss, EPA’s Acting Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “We appreciate Pitman Farms’ recent efforts to install new refrigeration equipment to reduce the chance of ammonia releases.”
During its inspection, EPA found that Pitman Farms violated the Risk Management regulations by failing to:
• Provide training to employees to assure they understand and adhere to the operating procedures.
• Ensure that employees were properly fitted for personal protective equipment.
• Perform annual inspections and tests of the ammonia refrigeration system, and correct deficiencies in equipment in a timely manner.
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