Saskatoon-PotashCorp has filed a notice of contest with the Occupational Safety and Health Commissioner of North Carolina with respect to six citations. The citations, which carry total penalties of $30,400, were brought against the company by the North Carolina Department of Labor. An independent board appointed by the governor will hear PotashCorp’s appeal. The citations are in relation to an anhydrous ammonia leak at PotashCorp’s Aurora phosphate complex that occurred in October 2009 (GM Oct. 19, 2009). The citations involved labeling of pipelines and equipment, the alarm system, and equipment conditions, which allowed more than 8,000 pounds of ammonia to be released. According to PotashCorp, all 17 individuals taken to the hospital on Friday, Oct. 9, were back at work the next Monday, and only two were kept overnight. The company said the release occurred during the unloading of a railcar.
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