6/25/2019 - CONSENT AGREEMENT AND FINAL ORDER ISSUED, ASSESSING A PENALTY OF $48,968, DUE WITHIN 30 DAYS. RESPONDENT ALSO AGREES TO COMPLETE A SEP.
ALLEGATIONS:
EPA BEGAN AN INVESTIGATION INTO RELEASE OF HAZ CHEMICALS AT RESPONDENT'S CALVERT CITY, KY, OPERATION AFTER EPA RECEIVED A REFERRAL FROM KY DEP CONCERNING A SEPT 12, 2011, RELEASE OF 11,000 POUNDS OF VINYL CHLORIDE. IN A CAA 144 LETTER, DATED MAR 15, 2016, EPA REQUESTED RESPONDENT PROVIDE INFO ON ALL CHEMICAL RELEASES OCCURRING AFTER JAN 1, 2011, THAT THE RESPONDENT REPORTED TO THE NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER, AND/OR THE STATE EMERGENCY RESPONSE COMMISSION AND THE LOCAL EMERGENCY PLANNING COMMITTEE. IN ITS RESPONSE, IN ADDITION TO THE SEPT 12, 2011 VINYL CHLORIDE RELEASE, RESPONDENT PROVIDE INFO ON REPORTABLE RELEASES OCCURRING ON APR 11, 2011; APR 25, 2012; AUG 22, 2013, AND JUNE 20, 2014.
ON APRIL 11, 2011, AN ACCIDENTIAL RELEASE OF IVNYL CHLORIDE OCCURRED DUE TO A VALVE FAILURE ON WESTLAKE'S #2 QUENCH BOTTOMS LINE. RESPONDENT HAD CONDUCTED NON-DESTRUCTING TESTING (NDT) ON RELATED PIPING BUT HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMING NDT ON THE VALVES. ADDITIONALLY, RESPONDENT DID NOT FOLLOW MGMT OF CHANGE (MOC) PROCEDURES WHEN CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE MATERIAL OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE PIPING SYSTEM.
ON SEPT 12, 2011, AN ACCIDENTAL RELEASE OF VINYL CHLORIDE AND 1,2-DICHLOROETHANE OCCURRED AT THE NORTH CRACKING HCL COLUMNS BOTTOMS LINE WHEN A PIPING ELBOW FITTING FAILED. RESPONDENT HAD NOT BEEN PERFORMING NDT ON SUCH PIPING. ADDI