Anheuser-Busch has agreed to pay $537,000 in fines and “implement a comprehensive safety review of all 11 of its breweries that use anhydrous ammonia,” according to EPA.
EPA said the brewer had failed to comply with recognized and generally accepted good engineering practices, including by not correcting “corrosion and degradation of ammonia piping and other equipment, and failure to remove frost and ice build-up on piping and other equipment.”
The agency conducted inspections at three facilities between 2016 and 2019, including one where an ammonia release injured two employees at its Fort Collins location.
Anhydrous ammonia can be corrosive to eyes, lungs and skin.
The safety review will include facilities located in New Hampshire, California, Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Florida, New York, Virginia, Georgia and Missouri, EPA said.
In a news release, EPA notes the settlement with Anheuser-Busch is part of the agency’s national initiative to “reduce chemical accidents and protect public health.”
“Accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia are dangerous and can be deadly,” said Larry Starfield, acting assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
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“This settlement should send a clear message to companies managing extremely hazardous chemicals that EPA will hold companies accountable if they fail to adequately prepare for and prevent chemical accidents,” Starfield said.
The agency found Anheuser-Busch in violation of the Clean Air Act’s regulations on chemical accident prevention and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.
Anheuser-Busch must implement “corrective action plans” based on the results of the safety review at 11 breweries, EPA said.
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