© 2023 KLCC

KLCC
136 W 8th Ave
Eugene OR 97401
541-463-6000
klcc@klcc.org

Contact Us

FCC Applications
Oregon's Willamette Valley seen from Eugene
NPR for Oregonians
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations

Oregon food company fined $100,000 for mishandling chemicals

Carrots_BB.jpg
Brian Bull
/
KLCC
Smith Frozen Foods produces and supplies frozen vegetables. Anhydrous ammonia can be used as a fertilizer.

An Oregon company has agreed to pay $100,000 for violating the Clean Air Act.

Smith Frozen Foods Inc. is based in Weston, a small town in Umatilla County. According to EPA inspections from 2016, the company improperly handled anhydrous ammonia, a chemical that can lead to lung damage and death.

The EPA says the company failed to manage and implement a Risk Management Plan for accidental chemical release, and broke seven federal provisions.

Nathan Wilk is a freelance reporter and former reporting intern. He began in radio at a young age, serving as a DJ and public affairs host across Oregon. He is a senior at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication.