Chicken plant fined for fatal ammonia release

The Division of Air Quality assessed Mountaire Farms Inc. of Lumber Bridge with the penalty for violations that contributed to the release of anhydrous ammonia at the plant on June 20.

A high-pressure ammonia line ruptured in the plant, forcing up to 40 workers to evacuate the building, authorities said. Mechanic Clifton Swain, 49, of Fayetteville, died in the incident, and four other workers were injured.

An investigation found that Mountaire didn't have a complete risk management program for handling ammonia, a toxic gas, even though regulators cited the company for such shortcomings the previous year, officials said.

In March 2008, the Division of Air Quality fined the company $4,506 for earlier violations of risk management rules.

The federal Clean Air Act requires companies to develop a risk management program to ensure they properly store hazardous materials, train their employees on safe handling methods, and prepare plans for responding to emergency releases.

The Division of Air Quality handed Mountaire the maximum penalty allowed for a single violation, $25,000, because of the severity of the incident and previous problems at the plant. Regulators also asked the company to pay $2,410 to cover the state’s investigative costs.

In December, the state Department of Labor fined Mountaire $73,325 for 22 workplace safety violations that contributed to the fatal ammonia leak.

The plant employs about 2,500 people.