EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 7/15

The EPA Enforcement Roundup gives you insight into how and why US EPA and state partners assess penalties for environmental noncompliance. 

All violations or claims discussed below are alleged only unless we say otherwise, and we withhold the names of organizations and individuals to protect their privacy.

Your EPA Enforcement Roundup for this week:

An energy company (and its parent company) will pay $764,274 in penalties and interest to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations.

US EPA settled with an energy company and its parent company to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA) and the West Virginia State Implementation Plan associated with two oil and gas well pads located in Bomont, West Virginia. The companies will pay a penalty totaling $764,274, including accrued interest.

According to the agreement, the company failed to comply with permitting requirements and to properly control, monitor, and report emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) at its Bomont facilities. Releases of these compounds contribute to smog and ground level ozone, which can harm human health.

An Idaho paper company will pay $367,088 in penalties following alleged extremely hazardous chlorine releases.

EPA announced that an Idaho paper company will pay a combined $367,088 in penalties for allegedly failing to properly report releases of hazardous chlorine emissions that occurred in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Multiple unexpected releases of chlorine gas occurred at the company’s facility and resulted in hundreds of pounds of this toxic chemical being emitted into the air. Some of these releases were large enough to cause evacuations at the facility and employees to seek medical attention after exposure.

The $367,088 in penalties include:

• A $45,000 penalty for failure to properly report numerous releases in its annual Toxics Release Inventory reporting (EPCRA).
• A $237,319 penalty for its failure to immediately notify officials and provide timely follow-up reports regarding these releases (EPCRA).
• A $84,769 penalty for violating CERCLA/Superfund regulations.

A retailer selling bug zapper devices has settled with US EPA to resolve alleged FIFRA violations.

EPA has reached a settlement with a corporation based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, for alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the settlement, the corporation has agreed to pay a penalty of $53,500 to resolve alleged violations involving the import, distribution and sale of misbranded bug zapper pesticide devices that were imported through Ports of Entry in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts.

EPA alleges that the company imported, distributed, or sold the misbranded bug zapper devices between February 2020 and April 2023. Bug zappers are regulated as "devices" under FIFRA because they are instruments that use physical mechanisms to trap, destroy, repel, or mitigate a pest. The company also failed to file the required Notices of Arrival for imports of the bug zappers during this period.

Complete Environmental Regulations Training

Want a clearer idea of how major EPA air, water, and chemical programs all fit together to affect your site's activities? Join in on the next Complete Environmental Regulations Webinar on July 25–26 at Lion.com.

EH&S professionals who attend can identify the regulations that apply to their facility and locate key requirements to achieve compliance with the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to EPCRA, TSCA, Superfund, and more. Prefer to train at your own pace? Try the interactive online course.

Tags: CERCLA, Clean Air Act, EPA Enforcement Roundup, EPCRA, FIFRA, Superfund