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EPA, BF Goodrich Settle Pollution Complaint
Release Date: 1/16/2002
Contact Information: Bill Dunbar
dunbar.bill@epa.gov
(206) 553-1203
January 16, 2002
02-002
Company to pay $51,685 penalty, purchase emergency supplies for county and fire district
The Seattle office of the Environmental Protection Agency announced today that BF Goodrich, Kalama, Inc., which formerly owned a facility in Kalama, Washington has agreed to pay penalties and purchase emergency response supplies for Cowlitz County to resolve violations of federal laws the company committed when it failed to notify authorities of a significant release of benzene and toluene, known carcinogens, into the environment. The facility is now owned by Noveon.
The benzene release occurred at approximately 6:30 p.m. on January 4, 2001, but was not reported until 11:30 a.m. the following day. Failure to immediately notify the National Response Center is a violation of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, aka Superfund ), and failure to notify the State Emergency Response Commission or the Local Emergency Planning Committee is a violation of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).
While the company neither admits nor denies the violations, the settlement with the EPA requires the company to pay a $51,685 penalty and to purchase much-needed emergency supplies for local responders. Specifically, for Fire District Number 5, BFGoodrich Kalama will purchase $2504.30 of AFFF (fire fighting) foam and a trailer worth $2259.60. The company will buy radio equipment worth $2616.92 and a $2319.11 laptop computer for the Cowlitz County Department of Emergency Managaement.
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