LENEXA, Kan. (AP) — Federal regulators say the Willis-Ellis Company has reached a settlement agreement over alleged air pollution at three of its Kansas fertilizer facilities. The Environmental Protection Agency said in a news release Thursday that the company has agreed to pay a $67,404 penalty to settle violations of the Clean Air Act at its facilities in White Cloud, Troy and Silver Lake. The company is also required to spend an additional $113,121 on emergency response equipment. EPA says its inspections revealed anhydrous ammonia processes at each of those sites exceeded the allowable threshold. Anhydrous ammonia is used in fertilizers. It can cause rapid dehydration and severe burns if inhaled. At high concentrations, even short-term exposure can cause death.
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