Pasco Company Pays Epa To Settle Allegations

The Oregon Potato Co. has agreed to pay $60,000 to settle allegations it failed to report a large quantity of anhydrous ammonia at its Pasco plant to firefighters and public officials with emergency responsibilities. The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a list of enforcement actions in the Northwest from July through September 2016, which included the Oregon Potato agreement signed in September. Oregon Potato, doing business as Freeze Pack at 400 Commercial Road, stored more than 500 pounds of anhydrous ammonia, considered a hazardous chemical, at its facility in 2013, according to EPA. It failed to submit an Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Form to the Washington State Emergency Response Commission, the local emergency planning committee and the local fire department for 2013, according to EPA. EPA is allowed to fine up to $37,500 for each of the three times the company allegedly did not submit the chemical inventory form. Oregon Potato agreed to a $60,000 fine without admitting the allegations, according to the consent agreement signed by Oregon Potato and EPA officials. Oregon Potato did not respond to a request for comment.