State Representative Dave Belton (R-Buckhead) says he supports recent actions taken by Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr to close the Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) plant in Covington.
“I have been working with both the governor and the Covington mayor on this issue from the very beginning and believe they have both made prudent decisions,” said Belton. “My commitment to my constituents is to remain fully engaged to ensure the health and well-being of the citizens of Morgan and Newton counties.”
After the BD Bard plant failed to voluntarily close its operations, Gov. Kemp and AG Carr filed a complaint in Newton County Superior Court to force the company to cease its operations until it can demonstrate to the state that it can be operated in a safe manner. Monday, Superior Court Judge Eugene Benton signed a Consent Order between Plaintiff Richard Dunn, Director of Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division (EPD), and Defendant Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD).
Among several provisions, the Order temporarily closes BD’s Covington facility for air testing, imposes fugitive emissions caps, requires mandatory reports, and imposes deadlines for installation of enhanced pollution controls at BD’s medical sterilization facilities in Covington and Madison.
“As Governor, I have pledged to always put Georgia families first and ensure their safety. This agreement allows for cleaner operations and improved, long-term accountability at BD’s medical sterilization facilities in Covington and Madison,” said Governor Brian P. Kemp. “I applaud Attorney General Chris Carr and his team for working with us to secure this win for Newton County and the surrounding communities.”
In the complaint, Carr states that “from September 15, 2019 through September 22, 2019, BD violated the Georgia Air Quality Act and the Rules for Air Quality Control when it negligently allowed the release of 54.5 pounds of ethylene oxide into the atmosphere, which upon further investigation has been determined to have been caused by a lack of diligence and prolonged operator error rather than an equipment malfunction.”
In addition, the complaint says, “BD has failed to take all responsible precautions to prevent fugitive emissions of ethylene oxide in a timely manner as required by the Act, the Rules and its Air Quality Permit.”
The state contends in the complaint that BD should be shut down until it demonstrates to the Court that it has completed the following actions:
1. Trained all technicians on the proper operation of all valves in the facility;
2. Completed corrective action to prevent a future release from all vacuum exhaust valves at the facility by installing blanks on the outlets to all vacuum exhaust valves to prevent flow regardless of valve position or condition; and
3. Installed necessary pollution control equipment to capture fugitive emissions of ethylene oxide at the facility and route them to a control device with at least 99 percent efficiency.
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