SEATTLE – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that Multistar Industries Inc. of Othello, Washington, will pay $850,000 for violations of environmental laws.
On Aug. 1, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington ordered Multistar to pay the penalty for five violations of the Clean Air Act Risk Management Program and two violations of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-know Act. The violations relate to Multistar’s storage of a hazardous chemical called trimethylamine or TMA at its facility in Othello, Washington.
In addition to the penalty, the Court granted EPA’s request for an injunction, which requires Multistar to come into immediate compliance with Clean Air Act requirements and submit semi-annual reports for the next five years showing ongoing compliance. In its order, the Court called Multistar’s violations “extremely serious” and stated that the company’s conduct “places workers lives at risk as well as the lives of the people in the community. ”
Multistar began storing TMA in rail cars at its facility beginning in 2017, but only took steps to come into compliance with CAA and EPCRA requirements after EPA began an investigation into the operation in 2019. Even then, the Court found that Multistar had not come fully into compliance with CAA requirements as of the time of trial. Multistar has a long history of compliance issues at the facility, with prior violations settled with EPA in 2005, 2016, 2019 and 2021.
“This ruling was a huge win for preventing chemical accidents,” said EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Ed Kowalski. “EPA’s Risk Management Program and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know-Act both focus on planning for and preventing accidental releases of hazardous substances, especially where there are large vulnerable populations.”
Multistar stored an average of 696,380 pounds of TMA in unmotorized rail cars since 2019. They increased their inventory capacity from an average 156,988 pounds in 2018.
Trimethylamine is a highly flammable substance that is corrosive to the eyes, the skin, and the respiratory tract. It is commonly used in the manufacture of electronics, explosives, pharmaceuticals, paper, and is an additive in gasoline.
Additional details can be found in the following documents:
-
Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law – United States v. Multistar Industries, Inc. (pdf)(145.52 KB, August 2023)
-
Order Granting Injunction – United States v. Multistar Industries, Inc. (pdf)(158.7 KB, August 2023)