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Gervais, Oregon-based Fiber-Fab pays $17,000 for failing to report on-site chemical use and releases

Release Date: 03/28/2011
Contact Information: Graham Kirn, EPA Toxics Release Inventory Program, 206-553-1603, [email protected], Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-0454, [email protected]

(Seattle—March 28, 2011) Fiber-Fab, a company that manufactures shower stalls and bath tubs, will pay a $17,000 penalty for failing to report the use and releases of styrene at its facility in 2008, according to an order issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The company is located in Gervais, Oregon.

“Companies that use industrial chemicals don’t operate in a vacuum—they have a responsibility to nearby neighborhoods and citizens to run safe, transparent operations,” said Kelly Huynh, manager of the Inspection and Enforcement Management Unit at EPA. “That includes reporting the chemicals they use and release at their facilities.”

An EPA inspector identified the reporting lapse during an inspection in June 2010. Under the federal Toxics Release Inventory Program, companies that use toxic chemicals are required to report annually about releases, transfers of toxic chemicals and waste management activities at their facilities. Fiber-Fab processed more than 25,000 pounds of styrene at its facility in 2008 without notifying federal regulators.

Styrene is a chemical widely used to make plastics and rubber. It is a respiratory hazard that can affect the nervous system.

The Toxics Release Inventory Program falls under the Emergency Planning and Community-Right-to-Know Act, which aims to inform communities and citizens of chemical hazards in their areas.