Boston—The owner of four refrigerated storage warehouses in Lakeville, Mass., has agreed to make significant safety upgrades to company facilities that will enhance public health protection in the community. The agreement is part of a settlement with EPA for alleged violations of laws meant to prevent accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia. The settlement calls for Cold Storage Solutions Inc. of Lakeville and three related companies, also operating as Cold Storage Solutions, to pay $108,000 in fines and to complete environmental projects worth more than $345,000. One of the accidental ammonia releases was witnessed by inspectors at a company facility, causing the team to evacuate the area and contact emergency response authorities. The companies were charged in four separate complaints with violating chemical accident prevention provisions of the Clean Air Act that apply to the use of anhydrous ammonia. In addition, three of the four companies failed to file chemical inventory reports required by the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain