Tacoma company must pay $214K for environmental violations, fire that hospitalized worker
Water and hygiene company EcoLab must pay about $214,000 in penalties for violating federal hazardous waste and pesticide laws that resulted in a fire at its facility on the Tacoma Tideflats in 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency announced.
The penalties are part of a settlement between EcoLab and the EPA where the company agreed to address the violations and pay penalties for the March 2019 fire that produced significant levels of hydrogen phosphide gas, prompting an evacuation of its facility.
One person working nearby was hospitalized due to inhalation exposure to the gas, according to a news release from the EPA. A shelter-in-place warning was also issued to a nearby facility.
“Failures like those at EcoLab can be catastrophic for people and the environment – companies handling pesticidal products must ensure that they comply not only with the requirements of a product’s label but also ensure that they dispose of the product legally,” said Ed Kowalksi, director of EPA northwest region’s Enforcement & Compliance Assurance Division.
Read more: https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article255271691.html
(Tacoma News Tribune)
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