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Longview Fibre Strengthens Ability of Cowlitz County to Deal with Emergencies.

Release Date: 7/13/1998
Contact Information: Bob Jacobson
[email protected]
(206) 553-1203

July 13, 1998 - - - - - - - - - - 98-37



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Longview Fibre Company is strengthening the capability of emergency management officials in Cowlitz County to deal with spills, fires or other emergencies involving hazardous chemicals.

The assistance from Longview Fibre comes as a result of a settlement of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enforcement case in which EPA complained that the company's pulp and paper mill in Longview last year failed to make prompt reports of a release of hydrogen sulfide into the air over the neighboring community.

The settlement was announced today by Randall F. Smith, director of the Environmental Cleanup Office at EPA's Northwest regional headquarters in Seattle.

By terms of the settlement, Smith said, Longview Fibre will pay more than $30,000 to provide the Cowlitz County Emergency Management Division with response equipment and supplies.  The purchases will include protective clothing, portable radios, detection equipment and laptop computers.

Longview Fibre also agreed to pay a civil penalty of $8539. In signing the settlement, Longview Fibre neither admitted or denied allegations made by EPA in its complaint last February.

The complaint stemmed from a release of hydrogen sulfide at the firm's Longview mill in April 1997.  The release prompted more than a half dozen complaints to local 911 operators.  Some of the callers reported sore throats, burning eyes, headaches, nausea and other symptoms that can be caused by exposure to the gas.  No injuries or illness at the Longview Fibre mill were reported by company officials.

By terms of federal law, any time there's a release of a dangerous chemical like hydrogen sulfide in more than prescribed amounts, Longview Fibre is required to report the release immediately to the Cowlitz County Emergency Management Division, to the Washington State Military Department of Emergency Management and to the National Response Center.  

According to EPA's calculations, approximately 336 pounds of hydrogen sulfide escaped into the air due a mechanical failure of a fan on a furnace at the mill.  Any release of hydrogen sulfide of more than 100 pounds requires Longview Fibre to make immediate reports to emergency response officials.

EPA's complaint alleged that although the release occurred just before noon, it was not reported until early that evening. According to EPA, delays also occurred in filing written reports. The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires written reports to be submitted as "soon as practicable after a release occurs."

EPCRA was enacted after the 1984 chemical tragedy at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, where a release of toxic gas killed 2,500 persons and injured thousands more.

In addition to the law's requirements for notifying emergency agencies when an accident occurs, companies must take measures to help prevent disastrous consequences from releases of dangerous chemicals like hydrogen sulfide.  Measures include annual reports of inventories of hazardous chemicals to designated emergency response agencies.  With the information provided, the emergency agencies can make plans for responding to fires, explosions or other accidents.