EPA reaches settlement in Verona

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has reached a settlement that impacts a manufacturer in Verona, located about 40 miles southwest of Springfield.

BCP Ingredients Inc., a subsidiary of Montvale, New Jersey-based Balchem Corp. (Nasdaq: BCPC), has agreed to pay a $300,000 civil penalty, among other provisions, related to alleged violations of the Clean Air Act, according to an EPA news release.

“In addition to violating the Clean Air Act, BCP’s facility is located in a community that has environmental justice concerns and increased exposure to pollutants from several sources,” EPA Region 7 Enforcement and Compliance Division Director David Cozad said in the release. “This settlement represents EPA and the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to protecting all communities, especially those overburdened by environmental harm.”

The settlement resolves EPA allegations that BCP Ingredients' Verona plant at 299 Extension St. released ethylene oxide, a toxic and flammable substance, and failed to comply with regulations designed to protect workers and the community from chemical releases. The plant makes choline chloride, an animal feed additive.

BCP agreed to enter a compliance order with the EPA in 2022, and officials with the federal agency say the plant has met all the requirements of the compliance order.

In addition to the civil penalty, BCP is required through the EPA settlement to invest in a scrubber system to remove ethylene oxide and spend $350,000 on community initiatives, including emergency equipment for the Verona Fire Department, two vehicles to be used as mobile health clinics and localized medical services, according to the release.