Acknowledgement to XL Environmental THE CLAIM An XL insured chemical manufacturer received rail cars of sodium hydroxide on its rail spur, located on its property. While performing offloading operations, a large release of sodium hydroxide from a rail car occurred. The release was caused when a 2 inch hose dislodged from its connection coupling. More […]

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing to fine a chemical company $121,500 for a toxic leak that led to an acid cloud forcing hundreds of western Pennsylvania residents to evacuate. OSHA reports that the company committed 27 serious safety violations when 3,300 pounds of oleum leaked when a transfer tank overflowed because […]

A large Alaska oil company has paid more than $1.7 million for spill containment violations. An October 2007 inspection revealed the company was operating storage tanks and truck-loading facilities without large enough secondary spill containment to prevent oil from seeping into the ground. The company has corrected most of the deficiencies, with the remainder to […]

A large petrochemical manufacturer in Texas and Louisiana will spend over $10 million to implement pollution control initiatives resulting from air, water and hazardous waste violations. The company will also pay a civil penalty of $2.8 million to resolve violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The […]

A Connecticut chemical company is facing a $155,000 fine as a result of claims that it violated the federal Clean Air Act. The EPA says that the company emits excess hazardous air pollutants from resins including formaldehyde and methanol. Respiratory symptoms and eye, nose and throat irritation are resulting in neighboring communities. The company will […]

A Texas chemical company is facing fines of $125.4 million resulting from safety violations at their manufacturing and treatment plant. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the deaths of two employees at the plant since December 2008. The Texas Attorney General is seeking a court order requiring the company to cease operations […]

A group of four families in the Baltimore, Maryland area were recently awarded almost $400 thousand to be paid by an oil company that a jury has held responsible for “polluting water wells with a hazardous gasoline additive.” Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), the additive found in the wells, is suspected to be a carcinogen. […]