Helena Chemical Co., Memphis, Tenn., has delivered a sharp rebuttal to charges by the state that the company is guilty of a series of air quality violations and of displaying an attitude of laxness toward complying with environmental regulations at its fertilizer warehouse in Mesquite, N.M. Helena was responding to the July 30 issuance by the New Mexico Environmental Dept. of a compliance order asserting 11 violations and assessing a fine of $279,000 (GM Aug. 11, p. 11). Environmental Secretary Ron Curry labeled Helena a problematic company and said the state would not tolerate its “lax air monitoring methods that put residents at risk.”
Not the case, reacted Helena Director of Regulatory Compliance and Engineering Ed Brister, who insisted that despite these charges his company is making a serious effort to resolve these differences. Brister claimed that the Mesquite plant is complying with the state air quality permit issued in 2005 and requested that the state reconsider its compliance order on the terms of that permit.
In the meantime, he said Helena wants a public hearing to be held on the state’s compliance order. “We are asking NMED to re-evaluate the allegations of violations and recognize our ongoing attempts to address any concerns from the state, above and beyond what is required,” Brister stated. “Our Mesquite warehouse was granted a permit in its current state as an enclosed facility in November of 2005, after multiple site investigations and a series of independent air quality studies,” he said. “The permit application process was exhaustive and we are just asking that the rules and definitions established remain the same.
“In its own reports of seven inspections between March and June 2007, NMED’s inspector noted only one instance of dust emissions from any of the paved roads on our property, and there was not a single allegation of any emissions of fertilizer or other Helena products crossing our property line.” The company noted ongoing efforts to work with NMED officials to resolve matters cited in another notice of violation issued on Nov, 14, 2007. Prior to that the company had been in frequent contact with NMED and had been conducting tests and performing work to comply with NMED’s direction. Most importantly, Brister added, the company has conducted extensive air-quality testing that demonstrates the facility’s emissions are very low and do not impact or harm the area’s air quality in any way.