On March 5, 2007, EPA commenced and settled an action under Section 109 of CERCLA with the signing of a Super Consent Agreement and accompanying Final Order (SuperCAFO) with Bear Island Paper Company, LLC ( Bear Island ), of Ashland, Virginia. Bear Island Paper violated section 103(a) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, as amended, (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. subsection 9603(a), by failing to immediately report a release of approximately 52,356 pounds of sodium hydroxide at the facility to the National Response Center. The release occurred inthe process of unloading the caustic from a railcar when a coupling hose failed. The containment area was not large enoough to contain the spill, and the sump pump failed. The facility has subsequently rebuilt its containment structure to hold the capacity of any railcar delivery. Insettlement of this matter, Bear Island has agreed to pay EPA a penalty of $12,954.20, and to purchase $15,800.00 worth of emergency response equipment for the Handover Fire Department, the Local Emergency Response committee. All issues addressed in the SuperCAFO have been resolved.