EPA Fines for Sulfuric Acid Discharge

No, don't get your hopes up - not the polluters on Marco Island that discharged millions of gallons of effluent laced with hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid into the waterways. We'd only be so lucky.

Interestingly, today October 5, 2009 the EPA announced the fines against a company (in Florida, of course) for doing the exact same thing the City and their contractors did on Marco Island.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2009

Sulfuric Acid Manufacturer Agrees to Spend $30 Million to Resolve Clean Air Violations

WASHINGTON – Mosaic Fertilizer will spend approximately $30 million on air pollution controls that are expected to eliminate harmful emissions from sulfuric acid production plants in Uncle Sam, La., and Mulberry, Fla., the Justice Department and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced. The company will also pay a civil penalty of $2.4 million to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations.

Mosaic produces sulfuric acid and combines it with phosphate rock to produce phosphoric acid, which in turn is combined with ammonia to produce fertilizer. Sulfuric acid production results in emissions of sulfur dioxide.

High levels of sulfur dioxide cause respiratory problems and contribute to childhood asthma. Sulfur dioxide also contributes to acid rain, haze, and impairs visibility in national parks. Emissions from sulfuric acid plants can be carried significant distances downwind, causing air quality problems in nearby states.

So as to Marco Island, we were entreated the hydrogen sulfide gas covering entire neighborhoods.

If you still don't believe that there is no correlation with the City dumping millions of gallons of sulfuric acid effluent into the waterways and the release of the toxic hydrogen sulfide gas, read the EPA's own chemistry on this subject:

... Once released from the wastewater as hydrogen sulfide gas, odor and corrosion problems begin. Another type of bacteria utilizes hydrogen sulfide gas to produce sulfuric acid that causes the destruction of wastewater piping and facilities.

(click here for entire EPA chemistry report)


Question: so how is it that the City and its contractors (so far) have gotten away with no prosecution where others are being prosecuted for doing the exact same thing?