Search

Biodiesel Plant Settles EPA Noncompliance Allegations for $396,000

Posted on 6/2/2016 by Roger Marks

For violations of multiple major US EPA environmental laws, a Rhode Island biodiesel plant will pay a $396,000 fine. 

While biodiesel is “environmentally important” in EPA’s words, its manufacture requires large volumes of methanol, a covered hazardous air pollutant (HAP) under the Clean Air Act. Not only did the plant have no controls in place to mitigate methanol emissions, but it also:

  • Failed to meet its responsibilities for chemical inventory reporting under the Emergency Preparedness and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA);
  • Did not prepare or implement a spill prevention, countermeasure, and control plan (SPCC Plan) as required under the Clean Water Act; and
  • Did not have in place a fire suppression system to meet Clean Air Act chemical accident prevention provisions, also known as Risk Management Planning or RMP requirements.  
These violations of EPA rules have been corrected at the plant. Since EPA uncovered the noncompliance issues, the owners installed both a new emissions control system and a fire suppression system. See the full Consent Decree at the US Department of Justice’s website, here.

EPA rules for oil and gas industry

Do You Know All the EPA Rules That Affect Your Site?


Be confident you know which of the many complex and overlapping US EPA environmental laws and regulations apply to your site and activities. At the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop, join an expert, full-time Lion instructor to identify the programs that affect your job and understand what you have to do to achieve and maintain compliance. Don’t miss this nationally trusted workshop in Cincinnati on June 6-7 and Pittsburgh on June 9-10!

Tags: Act, Air, Clean, Clean Water Act, EPA, EPCRA, fines and penalties

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

Course instructor was better prepared and presented better than other trainers. Course manual and references were easier to use as well.

Marty Brownfield

Hazardous Waste Professional

Lion does a great job summarizing and communicating complicated EH&S-related regulations.

Michele Irmen

Sr. Environmental Engineer

I have over 26 years of environmental compliance experience, and it has been some time since I have attended an environmental regulations workshop. I attended this course as preparation for EHS Audits for my six plants, and it was exactly what I was looking for.

Frank Sizemore

Director of Regulatory Affairs

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

The instructor clearly enjoys his job and transmits that enthusiasm. He made a dry subject very interesting and fun.

Teresa Arellanes

EHS Manager

Lion is at the top of the industry in compliance training. Course content and structure are updated frequently to make annual re-training enjoyable. I like that Lion has experts that I can contact for 1 year after the training.

Caroline Froning

Plant Chemist

Very well structured, comprehensive, and comparable to live training seminars I've participated in previously. I will recommend the online course to other colleagues with training requirement needs.

Neil Luciano

EHS Manager

I really enjoy your workshops. Thank you for such a great program and all the help Lion has provided me over the years!

George Chatman

Hazardous Material Pharmacy Technician

Given the choice, I would do all coursework this way. In-person courses go very fast without the opportunity to pause or repeat anything.

Ellen Pelton

Chemical Laboratory Manager

The instructor does a great job at presenting material in an approachable way. I have been able to save my company about $30,000 in the last year with what I have learned from Lion!

Curtis Ahonen

EHS&S Manager

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Decrease spill, release, and injury risk and increase savings with these "source reduction" strategies to prevent unused chemicals from becoming regulated as hazardous waste.

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.