At Midland, we specialize in assisting our clients in preventing releases through safe and highly effective materials handling.  We specialize in advising our customers on the detection and measurement of flue gases which are critical not only for achieving real time process control of new mandatory clean combustion systems, but also to minimize the emissions of dangerous air pollutants generated by these systems.

Quote from the EPA's Environmental News
Contact: John F. Horton, EPA
(913) 551-7003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 16, 1999

TYSON FOODS CITED BY EPA FOR REPORTING VIOLATIONS

The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7, Kansas City, Kansas, has issued an administrative civil complaint to Tyson Foods, Inc. with proposed penalties of $89,375 for failure to immediately report ammonia releases at its chicken processing plants in Sedalia and
Noel, Missouri.

The complaint alleges that Tyson failed to immediately report four ammonia releases to federal, state and local authorities as required by two environmental laws, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA).

EPA Region 7 is aware that some of the ammonia releases associated with these violations caused employee injuries and evacuation of the general public.

“Emergency reporting under the two laws is important,” says Region 7 Administrator, Dennis Grams, “because it allows local and federal authorities to make right decisions about responding to accidental releases where sensitive populations must be protected and so that emergency responders have proper equipment to handle the incident.”

Three of the ammonia releases occurred at the Sedalia plant on June 23, l998; April 7, 1999, and August 26, 1999. The fourth release of 250 pounds of ammonia occurred on May 31, 1999 at the Noel facility.

The reportable quantity for notifying local, state and federal authorities of an ammonia release is 100 pounds. Amounts of ammonia released at Sedalia ranged from 140 pounds to the 6,388 pounds released on August 26, 1999.

Under CERCLA, facilities are required to immediately report the release of amounts equal to or greater than the reportable quantity of listed hazardous substances to the National Response Center. The EPCRA regulations require immediate reporting of either CERCLA or EPCRA listed hazardous substances to both the Local Emergency Planning Committee and the State
Emergency Response Commission.