E-Malt.com News article: Canada: Northern Breweries fined $100,000 for ammonia leak in the atmosphere

Northern Breweries Ltd. has been fined $100,000, plus a victim fine surcharge, after pleading guilty to violating the Environmental Protection Act, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment said, according to The Sudbury Star, February 14.

Northern Breweries operated the Lorne Street Brewery at 185 Lorne St. in Sudbury, the ministry said in a release. The brewery has since been closed by the financially troubled company.

In June 2006, brewery staff was laid off and the company proceeded with a shut down of that facility. The Lorne Street Brewery contained refrigeration equipment that was comprised of an ammonia system. At the end of June 2006, the manager of the brewery turned off the electricity to the ammonia system.

Court heard that on the afternoon of Aug. 3, 2006, the Sudbury police, fire and ministry staff responded to a discharge of ammonia from the Lorne Street Brewery.

During that afternoon, the fire department detected extremely high levels of ammonia and the fire chief decided to evacuate the immediate area.

"Early that evening, ammonia could be heard leaking from a window in the facility," the release said. "Ammonia levels inside the building were too high to access the area to attempt to the isolate the leak.

"The site was vented until the morning of Aug. 4, 2006, when ammonia levels were low enough to allow access to the building."

Northern Breweries was charged following an investigation by the ministry Investigations and Enforcement Branch.

Northern Breweries pleaded guilty to one count of violating section 14(1) of the Environmental Protection Act by causing or permitting the discharge of a contaminant which caused an adverse effect. The company was fined $100,000, plus victim fine surcharge, and given six months to pay.

Justice of the Peace Ruby Beck heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury and imposed sentence on Tuesday.


15 February, 2008