The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency yesterday announced a settlement with Borealis Compounds, a global plastics manufacturer, to resolve violations of chemical safety requirements. The EPA alleged that the company violated the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), a federal law that regulates the manufacture, use, and reporting of chemicals, at its Port Murray, New Jersey facility.
Borealis has agreed to pay a $450,000 civil penalty and ensure compliance with TSCA regulations moving forward, including reporting on chemicals and provisions to protect workers.
The settlement resolves violations discovered during a February 2022 inspection and subsequent EPA review. The EPA determined that Borealis failed to comply with TSCA’s reporting, recordkeeping, and notification requirements for specific chemical substances used at its facility.
The company also failed to provide the required protective equipment for workers while handling polyethylene in a compounding process and failed to meet reporting obligations for this substance. Polyethylene compounding is a process where different materials are mixed to create a new type of polyethylene plastic.
Borealis also neglected to submit mandatory chemical data reporting for twelve other substances imported by the facility in quantities greater than 25,000 pounds.
“This settlement underscores EPA’s commitment to holding companies accountable for safeguarding public health and meeting federal chemical safety standards,” said EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “In this case, their failure to follow the rules and not document the chemicals properly.”
The Borealis facility in Port Murray employs some 140 people and produces plastic compounds used in wire and cable products. The company has since corrected the violations and worked cooperatively with the EPA to resolve the matter. The company has committed to full compliance with TSCA and related regulations moving forward.