According to federal authority two seafood processing and freezing company located in Fall River, Mass. face monetary penalties for federal Emergency Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) violations. EPA issued complaints on July 15, 2008 against Raw Seafoods, Inc. and Arctic Cold Storage Corporation alleging failure to provide local and state emergency responders with important information about the hazardous substances that the companies use at their facilities.
As per the inspection done in March 2007 EPA found that Raw Seafoods had failed to file with state and local authorities a chemical inventory, also known as a Tier II form, for calendar year 2006 for sulfuric acid and nitrogen. EPA has penalized Raw Seafoods, Inc. with $17,100 for the one-year violation.
In other inspection of the Arctic Cold Storage Corporation’s facility, EPA determined that the company had failed to file Tier II forms for three calendar years—2004, 2005 and 2006—for ammonia, sulfuric acid and lead. Arctic Cold Storage faces a penalty of up to $20,100 for the three violations.
The authority has enforced certain actions to help ensure that the local community and emergency response personnel are provided with information about dangerous chemicals present in the community. EPCRA was enacted by Congress in 1986 to provide greater protection of the public from chemical emergencies and dangers through public disclosure by business and industry of the chemicals they store, use, and release.
