Cheshire Industrial Firm to Pay EPA Penalty

The federal Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that Consolidated Industries Inc. in Cheshire has agreed to pay fines for violations of the Federal Clean Air Act and other laws.

The manufacuturer will pay more than $100,000 to settle a claim by the EPA that the business failed for two years to report the on-site presence of the toxic chemicals chromium and nickel. The company also failed to have a policy on safely storing hydrofluoric acid stored at the facility.

The plant at 677 Mixville Road is in close proximity to a long-established neighborhood. "An accidental release of hydrofluoric acid could have severe consequences, due to its high toxicity and ability to travel significant distances downwind as a dense vapor," the EPA said in its statement.

The company cooperated with regulators, the statement noted, and has filed the required reports for the toxic substances it handles. Consolidated Industries also said it has it stopped using hydrofluoric acid in concentrations that make the company subject to reporting requirements.

Consolidated Industries has operated in Cheshire for 60 years, according to the company's Website. It makes forged products for the aerospace industry.