North Smithfield Trucking Firm Settles With EPA For $315K

NORTH SMITHFIELD, RI — N&D Transportation Company, Inc. will pay a settlement of $314,658 to resolve allegations that it violated safety laws concerning the storage and handling of dangerous chemicals at its 100 Industrial Drive site, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced.

The EPA alleged that between 2015 and 2020, the North Smithfield trucking firm failed to prepare and submit chemical inventory reports, neglected to ensure incompatible substances were stored separately, didn't keep water-reactive chemicals away from the sprinkler system, and never filed important reports with state and local authorities.

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In a media release, the EPA said that local and state fire and emergency response personnel were never told about the presence of "Extremely Hazardous Substances" and other chemicals at the facility, thereby putting first responders at risk if they were ever called to the site.

The EPA said an inspection of the facility revealed serious problems. Among hazardous chemicals stored at the site were formaldehyde, toluene diisocyanate, paracetic acid, and sulfuric acid. The N&D facility is located near a tributary of the Blackstone River and close to other businesses and residences, the agency remarked.

The case was brought as part of an EPA Chemical Accident Risk Reduction National Compliance Initiative. EPA Region 1 worked with federal, state, and local agencies to bring the facility into compliance. The North Smithfield Fire Department assisted.

The EPA said it's devoted to improving safety and compliance at chemical warehouse facilities.

"This settlement demonstrates that chemical accident prevention requirements of the CleanAir Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act are in place for a reason and shows EPA's dedication to working with facilities to ensure chemical safety compliance," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Szaro.