Cytec Canada Inc convicted for two violations at facility in Niagara Falls
Cytec Canada Inc. has been ordered to pay $312,500 for two violations that took place at its chemical manufacturing facility in Niagara Falls.
The company was convicted for permitting the discharge of a contaminant into the air in a concentration exceeding the limits laid out under the Environmental Protection Act. In this case the contaminant was phosphoric acid.
Cytec Canada’s facility produces phosphine and phosphine derivatives which are used in mineral separation and extraction, as well as in the manufacturing of electronics, and in agricultural fumigation.
Sometimes the facility experiences flaring events, which send contaminants into the air. The company performs modelling scenarios to determine the concentration of the contaminants where they meet the ground outside the company’s property.
Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks says the violations took place in 2019 between September 29th and September 30th. Then again on March 16th, 2020.
“Modelling showed that air emissions from the facility exceeded the limit over a 24-hour averaging period established by the Environmental Protection Act on multiple occasions. The ministry’s evaluation also identified certain emissions had the potential to pose a risk to human health if they had been in the location where the contaminants meet the ground outside the boundaries of their property.”
Cytec Canada was fined $250,000 and ordered to pay a victim fine surcharge of $62,500. The company has been given 12 months to pay the fines.
Environmental safety is becoming more interwoven into occupational health and safety, with safety leaders taking on the responsibility for a company’s impact on the environment and surrounding areas.
If occupational health and safety leaders are not responsible for the environment, they should still inquire about environmental impacts and either hire consultants or suggest hiring and environmental health and safety professional to assist, especially if the operations have a known impact on the environment that could impact both employees and the public.
