Tyson Foods has agreed to a settlement with the federal government over accidental releases of anhydrous ammonia at its facilities in Kansas and three other states.
The consent decree will require Tyson to pay federal penalties of almost $4 million, and to spend another $300,000 on emergency response equipment for first responders. Tyson must also hire third-party Clean Air Act audits of 23 facilities in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Anhydrous ammonia is used in refrigeration equipment at the company’s processing plants. Two of the leaks happened at a facility in South Hutchinson, in 2006. One person was killed, and 11 were injured in the two incidents.