ST. LOUIS — Columbia-based farm supply companyMFA Inc. agreed Wednesday to pay a $100,000 fine for violating the federal Clean Air Act.
The company entered a guilty plea in federal court to a misdemeanor violation, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway announced.
The violation occurred at MFA’s Martinsburg plant in June 2003. According to the federal prosecutor, an employee was loading anhydrous ammonia from a bulk tank into a nurse tank. During the loading process, a connection between two valves separated, causing severe burns to the employee.
The agreement also requires MFA to upgrade its facilities, Hanaway said. Calls to the MFA office late Wednesday were not immediately returned.