Fall River plant agrees to settle EPA claims

BOSTON – The Fall River Water Filtration Plant will make significant upgrades to eliminate the use of chlorine gas at the facility, under the terms of a settlement with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act’s chemical-accident-prevention regulations.
Announced this month, the settlement requires the city to pay a $5,000 penalty and to implement a project to reduce the public-health risk in the community by eliminating annual use of 50 tons of chlorine gas at the facility, and instead use a safer chemical called sodium hypochlorite for water disinfection. EPA estimates the cost to make these facility upgrades to be at least $449,000.
Municipalities and businesses that use chlorine gas or other hazardous chemicals are required to take precautions to avoid violating chemical-accident-prevention regulations. EPA works with municipalities and businesses using chlorine or other hazardous chemicals to ensure compliance with these regulations and thereby avoid an accidental chemical release.
During a 2013 inspection of the Fall River Water Filtration Plant, EPA documented potentially dangerous conditions related to the storage and handling of chlorine gas, the agency said in a statement.
This settlement is part of EPA’s national effort to advance environmental justice by protecting communities such as those around the Fall River facility that are disproportionately impacted by pollution.

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