Boston, Mass. — Cold storage and ice manufacturer JP Lillis Enterprises, which does business as Cape Cod Ice, has agreed to pay EPA penalties of $225,000 for failing to put in place a required risk management plan for ammonia used in the refrigeration system at its East Providence facility. EPA also asserts that the company violated the Clean Air Act’s general duty clause – which applies to facilities where extremely hazardous substances such as ammonia are present – at its Sandwich, Mass., location. Under this clause, owners and operators of these facilities are required to identify hazards; design and maintain the facility in a safe manner; and take steps to prevent accidental releases of the extremely hazardous substance and minimize the consequences of any accidental releases that occur. The charges state that the company had not taken required steps to design and maintain a safe facility, or taken precautions that would minimize the consequences of an accidental release of ammonia, if one were to occur, at its Sandwich facility. For example, they failed to provide mechanical ventilation, working ammonia detectors, and an emergency shutdown switch for the machinery room; failed to develop operating procedures and a comprehensive mechanical integrity program; and failed to train employees in the proper operation of the system at the Sandwich facility.
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