Chemical Formulators Inc., under scrutiny since October, must act this summer after people have become sick.
By RON MATUS
Published May 14, 2004
Chemical Formulators Inc. has agreed to a timeline for making improvements to control toxic chlorine gas releases from its plant near West Shore Boulevard.
The Tyson Avenue facility has been under scrutiny since October, when its latest leak forced seven people to seek medical treatment and rattled the U.S. Army Reserve Center next door.
In a settlement expected to be finalized by the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission this week, Chemical Formulators has agreed to hire an engineering firm by early June and submit a detailed proposal for a fix by late August. Both the firm and the proposed fix must pass the EPC's muster.
The agency had recommended the company build an enclosure over the area where chlorine is pumped from rail cars - the area that has been prone to leaks. But the company said that was too expensive and instead proposed a giant, mobile hood system.
The settlement allows the engineering firm to explore options and allows the company and EPC to decide which one is most effective.
"It remains to be seen what the fix will be," said EPC general counsel Rick Tschantz. A schedule to put the fix in place must accompany the plans submitted in August, according to the settlement.
If deadlines are missed, the company must pay a $300-per-day penalty.
If more leaks are reported, other fines or enforcement actions are possible.
Chemical Formulators, based in Miami, makes chemicals for water and sewage treatment plants. Since its South Tampa plant opened in 1995, it has reported six releases, including a 1998 release that sickened 62 people.
Since the October release, complaints have continued to roll in, including a March 12 report from the Army Reserve about a strong smell of chlorine and an April 13 report about warning sirens going off.
