“While Tanner did take some actions to address the risks of an accidental release of ammonia at its facility in Rhode Island, Tanner failed to address the risk associated with the fact that its facility is not staffed except when ammonia is being received or distributed there.
EPA also alleged that Tanner failed to coordinate adequate emergency response plans with local emergency response agencies to ensure that the public would be protected in the event of a release of ammonia.
The new ammonia leak detectors Tanner agreed to install and operate will alert residents in surrounding communities of accidental releases of ammonia. Alarm signals will also be sent to emergency response personnel so that they may address accidental ammonia releases.” —EPA
This might well wrap up things for Tanner – see this link for the first fine and some information on the initiating event. Also check out this earlier posting on how this settlement may affect unattended operations in your facility.