Twin City Foods Penalty Settlement Offers Environmental Benefits
YAKIMA WA (2/23/2010) – Ellensburg vegetable processor Twin City Foods has agreed to fund several environmental projects to resolve an $80,000 penalty it garnered for an illegal ammonia release from its plant in February of 2009.
In the settlement agreement with the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), Twin City Foods will donate a 10-acre parcel of land to the city of Ellensburg in the Yakima River flood plain that will be maintained as a streamside buffer as public property. In addition, the company will purchase and donate special emergency response equipment to the Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue to enhance the organization’s ability to respond to hazardous chemical releases.
The company has also agreed to pay for upgrades to the city of Ellensburg wastewater treatment plant so that it may contain any future ammonia releases, and for a variety of laboratory and collection equipment at the plant.
During maintenance of its refrigeration system Feb. 18-23, 2009, the vegetable packer released high levels of ammonia to the city of Ellensburg wastewater treatment plant, causing the city to violate its effluent permit limits for ammonia to the Yakima River. The release also temporarily inhibited the city’s ability to properly treat wastewater and exposed workers to ammonia at the treatment plant. No injuries were reported.
Since the incident, Twin City has made significant changes to the industrial processes at its frozen food processing facility to ensure that no similar release of ammonia-laden waters can occur in the future.
“In addition to the projects that benefit the community, Twin City Foods has also re-plumbed its facility and installed a containment system to make sure a similar ammonia release won’t happen again,” said Donna Smith, and enforcement specialist with Ecology’s Water Quality Program in Yakima. “This project has resulted in environmental benefits beyond correcting any violation, and provides reassurances regarding any future ammonia release internal to the plant.”
Twin City is permitted to discharge process wastewater to the city of Ellensburg from the months of November to March under prescribed limitations outlined in a water quality permit. From April through October the plant applies its waste to a spray field as irrigation. No amount of ammonia release is allowed. Ammonia is toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish.
Media Contact: Joye Redfield-Wilder, Ecology communications manager, 509-575-2610; jred461@ecy.wa.gov
Grant Craig, Twin City Foods, Ellensburg Division Manager, (509) 962-9806, Ext.225