The U.S. EPA on July 22 reported that it has settled alleged civil chemical accident prevention and preparedness violations with three separate companies operating a total of eight cold storage facilities in Yakima County, Wash.
Each facility owner or operator has agreed to pay a penalty as part of these settlements: Stadelman Fruit LLC, $238,875, four facilities in Zillah; Hollingbery and Sons Inc., $21,600, Yakima; and Hollingbery CA and Cold Storage LLC, $96,600.
The settlements, reached under Section 312 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), are part of EPA’s nationwide campaign to protect unfairly burdened communities and reduce or eliminate accidental releases at industrial and chemical facilities sited in or near neighborhoods similar to those in Washington.