The owners of the FMC Idaho LLC elemental phosphorous facility, located just west of Pocatello ID have agreed to pay an $85,000 penalty to settle federal Clean Air Act violations with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to information from the agency September 7.
EPA said the company ceased production of phosphorous from raw ore in 2001, but continued to process smaller amounts of phosphorous material as the plant was being decommissioned. Since the alleged infractions, the company has continued to decommission and dismantle the facility.
Plant operators failed to regularly test emissions from an air pollution control scrubber to control particulate matter, EPA said. FMC also did not perform the tests in the time required, did not notify EPA of the planned tests (as required), failed a test due to excessive emissions, and failed to promptly notify EPA of the test failure, EPA said.