Kinder Morgan to Pay $316K in Penalties for Violations in Wyoming

Kinder Morgan Upstream LLC will pay $316,000 in penalties for violating Risk Management Plan provisions at natural gas plants in Casper and Douglas, Wyo. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced two Clean Air Act settlements with the company in which Kinder Morgan agreed to pay the penalties.

Under the Clean Air Act, facilities that contain certain hazardous and/ or flammable substances above certain thresholds are required to submit a risk management plan to assist with chemical release prevention, emergency preparedness and minimization of releases that do occur. The $316,000 penalties come after EPA inspectors determined that the facilities in Casper and Douglas did not adequately comply with those regulations.

In addition to the monetary penalties, the company has also agreed to establish new operating procedures and improve equipment maintenance. Kinder Morgan will also perform integrity tests on pressure vessels at both facilities in order to reduce the risk of an accidental release of hazardous materials at those sites.