美国环保局:威斯康星州六名谷物加工厂高管因粉尘爆炸罪被判刑_机械设备_资讯

美国环保局:威斯康星州六名谷物加工厂高管因粉尘爆炸罪被判刑

2024-02-21 09:52 浏览:20

Six officials from Didion Milling Inc., a Wisconsin firm, were sentenced last week to prison terms for their responsibility in a 2017 explosion at the company’s corn milling facilities, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Friday.

EPA said, “Didion Vice President of Operations Derrick Clark, was sentenced to two years in prison, a year of supervised release and a $5,000 fine. Former Environmental Manager Joseph Winch was sentenced to two years in prison, two years of supervised release and a $10,000 fine for conspiring to falsify Didion’s environmental compliance certifications.”

“Former Food Safety Superintendent Shawn Mesner was sentenced to two years in prison and a year of supervised release after being convicted in October 2023 of conspiring to commit fraud and to falsify Didion’s sanitation log,” EPA said.

“Three former Didion shift superintendents — Anthony Hess, Joel Niemeyer and Michael Bright — were sentenced probation and fines for falsification of Didion’s sanitation log.

“Nicholas Booker, a fourth shift superintendent, is scheduled to be sentenced in March,” EPA said.

Additionally, the Didion company pled guilty to falsifying its environmental and sanitation logs. U.S. District Court Judge James D. Peterson for the Western District of Wisconsin sentenced the company last month to pay $10.25 million in restitution to the victims of the May 2017 explosion and a $1 million fine, as well as to serve five years of probation with special conditions related to oversight of Didion’s operations, EPA added.

“These defendants put Didion workers in grave danger and five people tragically lost their lives, devastating their families and their community,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Companies of all sizes should take note: failure to comply with our country’s workplace safety and environmental laws can cost workers their lives and put individual corporate managers in federal prison.”

EPA explained, “At around 10:30 p.m. on the night of the explosion, a fire originated in milling equipment at Didion’s corn mill in Cambria, Wis. The fire led to a series of explosions in the facility, killing five workers and seriously injuring others. The explosions also damaged and caused the collapse of multiple mill buildings.”

“An investigation into Didion’s worker and food safety and environmental practices uncovered criminal violations of law attributable to both the company and senior officials.

“Grain milling generates grain dust, which must be effectively managed for workplace safety, environmental, and food safety and quality reasons. Mill operators must adhere to rules and requirements intended to minimize hazards. Grain dust is combustible, and mill operators need to maintain workplace safety through cleaning programs that remove dust accumulations from inside a mill. Mill operators must also capture dust before it is emitted into the environment as particulate matter, a kind of air pollutant.”

来源：Ag News & Information