Each month the New England office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finds businesses in violation of the Clean Air Act and right to know laws in Connecticut. Sometimes businesses fail to file chemical inventory forms, thus keeping the community in the dark about chemicals that could be released into the local area. Other times, companies lack emergency plans should their storage of hazardous substances be compromised.
The New England EPA has also found facilities that did not appropriately separate incompatible chemicals. Buildings, containment systems and coordination with Connecticut emergency responders are sometimes not in compliance with regulations. Companies are then assessed a penalty and ordered to resolve EPA claims.
“Companies that handle or store hazardous chemicals have a responsibility to follow the regulations that are set up to protect the public and the environment,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “The fine should serve as a reminder to these companies of such obligations.”
The quality of air affects not only how workers at these facilities live and breathe, but can greatly affect the population surrounding the business. The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) measures air quality daily and if the air quality index is above 100, air quality is deemed unhealthy. The DEP measures ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, lead and particulate matter. It also tracks toxic pollutants and metals such as volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, mercury, and dioxin.
Recent Connecticut violations include a:
• Sprague paperboard company storing sulfuric acid at 57 times the threshold level
• Brookfield commercial alcohol company not alerting responders to more than two dozen hazardous chemicals it had in its inventory
• New Haven chemical manufacturer and distributor that did not have an emergency plan or submit inventory reports to authorities regarding its storage of hydrochloric acid; it also did not alert responders to its inventory of chlorine, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite
Unhealthy air quality levels lead to respiratory and breathing problems, even in active kids and adults. Individuals with heart or lung disease can experience heightened problems and people with cardiopulmonary disease and the elderly increase their chances of premature mortality. Instances do exist where a business has so badly violated the Clean Air Act that its workers and local community must take legal action to correct the business’ bad behavior. Catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death, whether in the workplace or in the neighborhood you live in, is a serious issue that warrants an experienced Connecticut personal injury lawyer to investigate what an individual can do to remedy their situation.
The Connecticut personal injury attorneys at Stratton Faxon are known for successfully representing victims of catastrophic personal injury and wrongful death. They have served Connecticut for more than a decade and are one of the top three plaintiff law firms in the state. They are revered advocates for their clients as they push to get an individual compensation for their medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering, and other injuries an individual can experience from an unhealthy work environment or community-level issue.
For more information:
www.strattonfaxon.com
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New Haven, CT 06510
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Alexandra Reed writes for Connecticut personal injury law firm, Stratton Faxon. Contact Stratton Faxon to speak with a Connecticut accident lawyer about your personal injury, wrongful death, or Connecticut malpractice case. To learn more, visit Strattonfaxon.com.
