Columbus, Ohio — Ohio EPA and the Dayton Power and Light Co. (DP&L) have agreed on $20,468 civil penalty for a series of violations involving anhydrous ammonia used at the utility’s Adams County facility selective catalytic reduction system to reduce nitrous oxide emissions. DP&L was cited mainly for risk management plans (RMP), which detail what DP&L should do if an accidental release of the toxic chemical should occur. The J.M. Stuart facility stores 1.2 million pounds of anhydrous ammonia in four storage tanks containing 300,000 pounds each. During an RMP compliance inspection last February, Ohio EPA discovered eight violations of the RMP regulations. The company was issued a notice of violation in March 2011, and DP&L corrected one of the violations by determining and documenting an appropriate response to the findings of a 2007 internal compliance audit. The remaining violations include failure to: provide required operator training every three years; fully implement employee participation and contractor programs; create and implement a mechanical integrity program; complete recommendations derived from the process hazard analysis; annually certify operating procedures; and implement a pre-startup review. Two of these violations were the same ones noted during a 2004 RMP compliance inspection. At that time, no penalty was assessed and DP&L corrected the two violations. The company has agreed to respond to emergency release plan violations within 60 days and pay a civil penalty of $4,094 to the Ohio EPA’s clean diesel school bus program fund, with the remaining $16,374 to be deposited into the state’s risk management plan fund.
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