As current administration efforts to transform the Environmental Protection Agency continue to develop, one battle has finally come to a head over chemical usage and storage.  Recently New York’s Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, brought a suit against the EPA for delaying the chemical accident safety rule, which targeted companies that used and stored chemicals.  By the time the suit was filed, ten other states joined the battle.  The gist of the suit asserts that new EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt cannot delay by two years the Accidental Release Prevention Requirements for Risk Management Programs, which they believe offers critical improvements to protections against explosions, fires, poisonous gas releases and other accidents involving toxic chemicals.

States say the ruling is critical, as over the past decade, 1500 accidents have resulted in over $2 billion in property damage, half a million people evacuated or sheltered in place, over 17,000 instances of medical treatment and 58 deaths.  The ruling also requires investigating safer technology and practices.  Food storage facilities with ammonia refrigeration systems as well as midstream gas plants, wastewater treatment plants and paper and pulp mills would be affected by this ruling.

The ruling is an excellent example of ensuring your company is doing all it can to be energy efficient, within regulation and moving forward despite what political winds may blow.

Paper and pulp mills, for example, always need help controlling slurry and wastewater used in the pulping process.  More effective heaters burn less energy and save more money.  Precise mixing with chemical agents ensures not only that a batch of product comes out with uniform consistency every time, but that people aren’t exposed to dangerous chemicals because of the static mixing procedure or inline mixing.  Static mixing means less sludge to clean, which means less downtime on production – and less exposure to toxic chemical residue.

Don’t make a business plan that banks on certain political trends!  Contact Komax and see how our innovative designs can save you money, make your workplace safer and your products of consistent quality.