EPA to crack down on ammonia plants
The US Environmental Protection Agency is to crack down on refrigeration facilities that are failing to implement procedures to prevent the release of ammonia.
An enforcement alert has been issued by the government agency to operators of ammonia refrigeration facilities after the EPA’s own investigations suggested that some refrigeration facilities might be failing to properly manage hazardous chemicals, including anhydrous ammonia, as required by the US Clean Air Act. According to the EPA, deficient chemical accident prevention practices at some refrigeration facilities have resulted in a number releases of ammonia into surrounding communities. It highlights that, since 2012, illegal ammonia releases at 14 different refrigeration facilities have resulted in property damage, numerous injuries and hospitalizations and several deaths…