EPA Ruling Upheld in Environmental Citations for Multistar Industries
The company must pay $850,000 in penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Aug 18, 2023
Multistar Industries Inc.—an Othello, Washington-based company specializing in anhydrous ammonia services—must pay $850,000 for environmental law violations, following a recent court order.
In a release dated August 17, the EPA announced that the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ruled in favor of the agency’s findings, upholding its citation of Multistar Industries. The EPA identified five violations of the Clean Air Act Risk Management Program and two violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
These violations relate specifically to Multistar Industries’ mishandling of the hazardous chemical known as trimethylamine (TMA). Often used in manufacturing, TMA is extremely harmful to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract and is highly flammable. The company had been storing TMA in rail cars since 2017, and by 2019—the same year the EPA investigation launched—had stored an average of 696,380 pounds of TMA, still without meeting compliance.
“This ruling was a huge win for preventing chemical accidents,” EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski said in a statement. “EPA’s Risk Management Program and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act both focus on planning for and preventing accidental releases of hazardous substances, especially where there are large vulnerable populations.”
The court also ruled in favor of the EPA’s request for an injunction requiring Multistar Industries to immediately remediate its Clean Air Act violations. Moreover, the company must submit semi-annual reports for the next five years to ensure continued compliance.
The EPA previously cited Multistar Industries for environmental law violations in 2005, 2016, 2019 and 2021
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor for Environmental Protection.