Chemical manufacturer fined $270,000

DALTON, GA — The U.S. Department of Justice says MFG Chemical Inc. has agreed to pay $270,000 in civil penalties for a 2004 plant explosion, according to WSAV-TV.

The $270,000 payment will be used to resolve claims resulting from a toxic release of hazardous chemicals at the plant in April 2004, the story stated.

According to the story, a reactor at MFG Chemical Inc. overheated and exploded, causing a cloud of hydrochloric acid — a highly corrosive substance commonly used for cleaning — to be released over the area, killing all aquatic and plant life.

Roughly 154 people were treated for minor symptoms following the incident and hundreds of residents and workers from several nearby factories were evacuated as a precaution, the story noted.

A complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia alleges that MFG Chemical Inc. failed to adhere to guidelines under the Clean Air Act, the story added.