Bayer CropScience agreed to pay a $112,500 civil penalty and spend more than $900,000for environmental projects to settle a wide range of federal environmental violations at its chemical manufacturing plant located in Institute, W.Va. EPA discovered the violations stem from a series of EPA inspections in 2001, when the facility was owned by Aventis CropScience USA. The violations are not related to the explosion and fire at the facility in August 2008.
EPA inspectors identified violations of five different environmental laws designed to limit air and water pollution and protect the public from hazardous chemical leaks and spills. These violations included 35 instances between 1999 and 2001 when chemicals discharged violated the company’s permitted limits. The company also failed to properly monitor water discharges and failed to update equipment in accordance with best management practices.
Other violations included: not properly labeling chemical storage containers; not properly disposing of wastewater sludge; not maintaining records associated with the use of oil; and not properly following the plant's own waste analysis plan. The facility was also cited for not properly notifying the National Response Center as soon as it had knowledge of the release of carbosulfan on Feb. 5, 2001.
Part of the $900,000 set aside for environmental projects requires Bayer CropScience to donate equipment and funding to the Kanawha Valley Emergency Preparedness Center and three local fire departments to support training and emergency response. The agreement also requires Bayer CropScience to upgrade its wastewater treatment facilities to improve monitoring and reduce pollution discharges. In exchange for a $1,012,500 settlement, EPA agreed to allow Bayer CropScience to neither admits nor denies the charges levied against it.
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