Helena to pay $208,331 in civil penalty

Sante Fe-Helena Chemical Co. will pay a civil penalty of $208,331 to the state of New Mexico as part of a settlement agreement with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) stemming from 10 violations of the company’s air quality permit for its Mesquite fertilizer facility. According to the NMED, the violations included neglecting to conduct testing and monitoring to make sure air quality standards were met and failing to maintain records of plant operations. NMED said that as part of the settlement Helena agreed to pay the state for all the violations except one alleging the company failed to close doors and openings at the facility during operations. As part of the settlement, Helena does not admit liability for the violations. NMED dismissed the open doors violation against the company. “We are pleased that NMED has decided to uphold its original finding that our facility meets the department’s definition of ‘enclosed,’ which was based on multiple site inspections and a series of independent air quality studies,” said Louis Rodrigue, Helena vice president, Southern Business Unit. “The other violations, with which we do not agree, are clearly more administrative in scope and are not related to the environmental integrity of our facility.” Rodrigue also noted Helena’s ongoing efforts to improve and upgrade the Mesquite facility, including adding doors to the blending facility to secure material during times when the facility was not in operation, covering process areas, and updating its material handling equipment. The company also purchased a street sweeper, which it regularly uses to clean dust off roads near its facility. “We maintain our unwavering commitment to serving the needs of farmers in New Mexico, while operating in a safe, legal and environmentally sensitive manner,” said Rodrigue. “We will continue to be diligent and transparent in our ongoing and vigorous efforts to comply with the letter, and the spirit, of the laws and regulations that apply to our operations.”