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Bristol-Myers agrees to pay for Clean Air violations

Bristol-Myers Squibb in Hopewell. Image via emcorgroup.com.

Bristol-Myers Squibb has agreed to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations to the tune of $3.65 million, which it will spend eliminating hydrochlorofluorocarbons — ozone-depleting refrigerants — at factories in New Jersey, five other states and Puerto Rico, according to the Associated Press. The pharmaceutical giant also will pay $127,000 in penalties to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

In a court document filed yesterday in Illinois, the drug maker outlines its plan to retire or retrofit 17 refrigeration units that use the ozone-damaging chemicals by July 2009.

From the AP:

The 17 refrigeration units at plants in Mount Vernon and Evansville, Ind.; Hopewell, N.J.; and Humacao and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, will switch to refrigerants that do not deplete stratospheric ozone.

In addition, Bristol-Myers will ensure 13 plants in Connecticut, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Puerto Rico comply with the EPA’s ozone-depletion regulations. Potential violations were found at those plants when the company audited a total of 25 plants to determine its compliance with the EPA’s regulations.

Bristol-Myers also will retire two cooling units at its New Brunswick, N.J., plant and connect them to a new system that uses water-chilled coolers.