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Bucks County Company Settles Chemical Release Reporting Violation

Release Date: 10/07/2008
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (October 7, 2008) -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Land and Sea Forest Products of Pennsylvania Corporation has settled alleged violations of toxic chemical reporting requirement, at its plant located at 400 Rock Run Rd., Fairless Hills, Pa.

EPA cited the company for violating the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), which requires companies that manufacture, use or process more than a threshold amount of federally-listed toxic chemicals to file an annual toxic chemical release form with EPA and the state. Companies must also report both routine and accidental releases of toxic chemicals, as well as the maximum amount of any listed chemicals at the facility and the amount contained in wastes transferred off-site.

In a consent agreement with EPA, the company has agreed to pay a $30,000 civil penalty for failing to file required annual reports on arsenic, chromium and copper compounds processed at the facility in 2003, and copper compounds processed at the facility in 2005. NOTE: This case involves alleged reporting violations, and not unlawful releases of toxic chemicals.

These annual reports are used to compile the Toxic Release Inventory, a publicly available EPA database that contains information on toxic chemical releases and waste management activities by certain industries as well as federal facilities.

The settlement penalty reflects the company’s cooperation with EPA’s investigation of these alleged violations, and its prompt compliance efforts. As part of the settlement, the company did not admit liability for the alleged violations, but has certified compliance with applicable EPCRA requirements.

For more information, visit www.epa.gov/tri/ and www.epa.gov/regulations/laws/epcra.html