Iowa Chemical Plant to Pay Penalties, Install Safety System After Hazardous Material Releases
Eddyville, Iowa – In a settlement announced December 4, 2024, Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America Inc., a company specializing in amino acid production, has agreed to pay $458,265 in civil penalties and invest in safety improvements to resolve alleged violations of federal environmental and public safety laws. The agreement stems from hazardous chemical releases at Ajinomoto’s manufacturing plants in Eddyville.
Released Triggered Community Evacuations and Worker Risks
The two state-of-the-art facilities, one specializing in food and beverage products,
the other operating in the realm of animal nutrition, had attracted scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after incidents involving hazardous materials. In 2021, a release of hydrochloric acid occurred, prompting concern amongst the community. The following year, a chlorine gas release led to employee injuries and necessitated precautionary evacuations and shelter-in-place orders. Chlorine gas, known for its pungent odor and potential to cause serious health problems, sparked considerable alarm.
“Ajinomoto’s operations presented a significant risk to its workers and the surrounding community,” the EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Division Director David Cozad stated. This settlement, including the installation of an anhydrous ammonia containment system, will reduce the risk to workers and residents.”
The EPA identified several chemicals used at Anijimoto’s facilities as “extremely hazardous substances” under federal classification due to their demonstrated potential to harm both the environment and human health. In addition to hydrochloric acid and chlorine gas, the EPA flagged anhydrous ammonia as another chemical presenting a potential risk.
An insufficient risk management system coupled with failure to fully disclose information
ared to challenges. As outlined in the settlement, EPA officials assert that Ajinomoto allegedly violated key legal requirements, including the failure to:
- Identify potential hazards associated with hazardous substance releases
- Design and maintain safe facilities, proactively mitigating release risks
- Conduct comprehensive hazard analyses to detect potential releases & respond effectively
- Comply with mechanical integrity requirements.
vd enforce safety
- Adequately coordinate with local emergency planning and response organizations, ensuring access to crucial
information about the chemicals used on site and the associated risks
- Report the presence and use of hazardous chemicals to local authorities, hindering response efforts.
In addition to the hefty civil penalty, Ajinomoto has committed to a sizable investment in safety measures.
The company will explicitly invest approximately $227,589 in the installation of an ammonia water deluge system at
one of its facilities. This investment is designed to minimize the risk of potential anhydrous ammonia releases
into the environment around the plant.
Stronger Safety Measures and Enhanced Transparency
The EPA requires conductors
Facilities handling hazardous, toxic, and flammable substances must align with the mandates of the Clean Air Act. A key tenet of this Act, known as the “General Duty Clause”, holds facility owners and operators accountable for
ensuring safe practices for managing chemicals used on site. The Clean Air Act also stipulates that these facilities develop Risk Management Plans these plans serve as blueprints for anticipating and mitigating potential incidents. These plans detail everything from the potential consequences of a chemical accident, outlining the steps taken by the facility to prevent such occurrences and thorough, preemptive plans to execute in the event of a release. By providing this critical information to local fire, police and emergency response teams these allows these communities to superiorly prepare for and respond to any chemical emergencies that may arise.
Furthermore, EPA’s
EPCRA requires those operating facilities managing hazardous materials to meet stringent reporting
standards, ensuring transparency with their communities. These reports empower local communities to
plan for emergencies and give residents readily accessible information about potential risks associated
with nearby industrial operations.
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What specific safety improvements will Ajinomoto implement?
## Interview with EPA Director David Cozad on Ajinomoto Settlement
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Director Cozad.
**David Cozad:** It’s my pleasure.
**Interviewer:** Ajinomoto, a major chemical plant in Eddyville, Iowa, recently agreed to a significant settlement with the EPA. Can you tell us more about the situation?
**Cozad:** Absolutely. Ajinomoto operates two facilities in Eddyville - one focused on food and beverage products, the other on animal nutrition. Unfortunately, we’ve had serious concerns about their handling of hazardous materials following incidents involving hydrochloric acid and chlorine gas releases in recent years. These releases resulted in worker injuries and prompted evacuations and shelter-in-place orders, posing a real danger to both employees and the surrounding community. [[1](https://www.oskaloosa.com/news/local_news/ajinomoto-lifts-veil-on-new-wetlands/article_9e90fb76-331c-11ef-8b54-4bc7cdc7bb6a.html)
**Interviewer:** So what did the investigation reveal?
**Cozad:** Our investigation determined that Ajinomoto violated several key federal environmental and public safety laws. They failed to properly identify potential hazards, implement robust safety protocols, conduct thorough risk analyses, and effectively coordinate with local emergency responders. These oversights created a significant risk to the community and their own workforce.
**Interviewer:** What are the consequences for Ajinomoto?
**Cozad:** The company has agreed to a settlement that involves paying a civil penalty of $458,265 and investing in crucial safety improvements, including the installation of a new anhydrous ammonia containment system. This system is critical because anhydrous ammonia is another particularly hazardous chemical used at their facilities.
**Interviewer:** How confident are you that these measures will prevent future incidents?
**Cozad:** We believe this settlement will lead to a substantial improvement in safety practices at Ajinomoto’s plants. This case highlights the importance of holding companies accountable for adhering to environmental and safety regulations to protect workers, the community, and the environment.
