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EPA Settles Administrative Enforcement Case in Millbury

Release Date: 01/08/2002
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, EPA Press Office (617) 918-1013

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that the Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District will pay $15,470 to settle an administrative enforcement case with the agency.

This case stems from an incident on Oct. 19, 2000, when 885 pounds of chlorine – both as a liquid and as a gas – were released at Upper Blackstone's wastewater treatment plant on Route 20 in Millbury. None of the chlorine was spilled into the Blackstone River itself.

This penalty is for not immediately reporting the chlorine release to the National Response Center (NRC). The federal Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) requires that accidental releases of certain hazardous substances exceeding a set quantity be immediately reported to the NRC. In the case of chlorine, the threshold is 10 pounds.

Upper Blackstone failed to make NRC notification until the following day – 21 hours after the release occurred.

"The purpose of immediate NRC notification is simple but important: to provide a mechanism for EPA to be aware of every potentially hazardous release as soon as possible, and to quickly assess the severity of the release and the need for federal response," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office.

The Upper Blackstone Water Pollution Abatement District operates a wastewater treatment facility for six area communities, including Worcester. More than 200 industrial users contribute wastewater to Upper Blackstone. The plant also accepts septage on a fee basis from area communities.

Blackstone officials attributed the release to a faulty valve on a one-ton cylinder containing liquid chlorine. Chlorine is routinely used at the facility as a wastewater disinfectant. However, breathing small amounts of chlorine for short periods of time adversely affects the human respiratory system. Effects range from coughing and chest pain to water retention in the lungs. Chlorine irritates the skin, the eyes, and the respiratory system. In this case, two firefighters responding to the accident were examined for chlorine exposure at a local hospital and later released.

Varney explained that notifications made to the NRC are normally relayed to EPA's emergency response desk within minutes of when they are received. Failing to immediately notify the NRC undercuts EPA's ability to determine what level of government response is needed and how urgent the response should be.

For more information, visit EPA's Web site: https://www.epa.gov/ceppo