EPA Announces Settlement with Mosaic Fertilizer for Alleged Chemical Accident Prevention Violations at St. James, La., Facility
DALLAS, TEXAS (Feb. 6, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized a settlement with Mosaic Fertilizer and Tampa Port Services over alleged violations of the chemical accident prevention provisions of the Clean Air Act at Mosaic’s facility in St. James, Louisiana. Under the settlement, the companies will pay more than $217,000 in civil penalties, install two ammonia gas monitors and donate equipment to the St. James Parish Emergency Response Department.
“Preventing chemical accidents is one of the most important goals of the Clean Air Act, which can only be fulfilled with the full participation and commitment of owners and operators of industrial facilities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “Companies must prioritize safety for their workers and surrounding communities, and be held accountable when they violate these requirements.”
An on-site inspection found violations associated with Mosaic’s processing of granular monoammonium phosphate and diammonium phosphate and Tampa Port Services’ adjacent anhydrous ammonia process. Violations included failure to document required safety precautions and operating procedures, failure to promptly address recommendations of the process hazard analysis team and compliance audit, failure to train employees according to requirements, failure to implement written procedures for maintaining safety equipment, and failure to test and inspect certain process equipment.
Under the settlement, Mosaic and Tampa Port Services must correct violations and pay a civil penalty of $217, 085. They have also agreed to complete two supplemental environmental projects (SEPs) to benefit the St. James community—installing two area ammonia gas monitors for two years, and donating two 20-kilowatt generators to the St. James Parish Emergency Response Department.
Section 112(r) of the Clean Air Act Amendments requires EPA to publish regulations and guidance for chemical accident prevention at facilities that use certain hazardous substances. These regulations and guidance are contained in the Risk Management Program rule, which requires facilities that use extremely hazardous substances to develop a Risk Management Plan which:
- identifies the potential effects of a chemical accident,
- identifies steps the facility is taking to prevent an accident, and
- spells out emergency response procedures should an accident occur.
To learn more about the Clean Air Act’s accident prevention provisions, see https://www.epa.gov/rmp.
Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, Twitter, or visit our homepage.