POULTRY FACTORY CITED BY STATE EPA ON RISK
MANAGEMENT/PROCESS SAFETY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
DEFICIENCIES - HCI PROVIDES ASSISTANCE

The staff of Occupational & Environmental Health Consultants, Inc. has had the opportunity to assist a Louisiana located poultry facility in meeting Compliance Orders from the enforcement division of the state EPA recently. The facility is one of a national poultry company, which was issued Compliance Orders concerning their Risk Management Program. The citings were those outlined as referenced to the elements of the Process Safety Management Program for Anhydrous Ammonia.

The citings by the Department of Environmental Quality gave notice of potential penalties of $27,500.00 per day and no more than $50,000.00 for each violation per day. Though the final decisions on penalties are pending, the staff of OEHC has been able to work with the facility's staff to eliminate each of the deficiencies noted.
Interestingly enough, the OEHC staff had conducted the required Tri-Annual Compliance Audit for this facility, as required by 29 CFR 1910.119, last year. Each of the EPA's findings had been noted in this audit but not corrected.