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Exeter Company to Pay $14,000 For Violating Clean Air and Emergency Response Laws

Release Date: 07/05/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Sheryl Rosner, EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1865, rosner.sheryl@epa.gov

For Immediate Release: July 5, 2005; Release # sr050701

An Exeter, NH company that makes glass and ceramic products has agreed to pay $14,000 to settle claims by the US Environmental Protection Agency that it violated federal clean air and chemical release notification rules in 2003.

According to a settlement signed this week, OSRAM SYLVANIA Products violated the Clean Air Act and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act by failing to have an adequate risk management plan for a hydrofluoric acid process at its facility and by failing to properly notify the National Response Center of an accidental release of hydrofluoric acid on May 13, 2003. In the agreement, OSRAM neither admitted nor denied the allegations. There were no injuries reported as a result of the release.

The violations were discovered during an EPA audit of the facility and an investigation of the hydrofluoric acid release. The investigation revealed that human error lead to the release.
Since the release, OSRAM has installed additional safety equipment to prevent or minimize further chemical releases at its facility.

"It is important that companies take steps to ensure that proper mechanical and electronic controls are installed to prevent unfortunate incidents like the one that occurred at this facility," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "This action serves as notice to other companies with Clean Air and emergency notification requirements."

OSRAM's parent company is Siemens Corp., a multinational corporation based in Germany with approximately 80,000 total employees.

To learn more about EPA's air enforcement program visit: https://www.epa.gov/region1/enforcement/air/index.html

Related Information:
Air Enforcement
Clean Air Act
Air Toxics/Pollutants