Kinder Morgan Upstream LLC has agreed to pay $316,000 in penalties for allegedly violating the risk management plan requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA) at its natural gas plants in Casper and Douglas, WY, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Thursday.

The agency also said the company has agreed to establish new operating procedures, improve equipment maintenance and perform integrity tests on pressure vessels to reduce the possibility of an accidental release of hazardous chemicals at both facilities.

Under the CAA, facilities that contain hazardous and flammable substances above specified thresholds are required to develop and submit a risk management plan to assist with emergency preparedness. The EPA said its inspectors found that the Kinder Morgan facilities had not complied with the regulations.

“Companies that use chemicals and substances which pose potential danger are responsible for having a robust risk management program in place,” said Mike Gaydosh, director of EPA’s enforcement program in Denver, CO.

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