Company agrees $1.1m penalty for fatal ammonia release
15th January 2026
USA: A Massachusetts-based food processing company will pay a $1.1m civil penalty following a fatal ammonia refrigerant release in 2022.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reached the settlement with Home Market Foods (HMF) after the incident at its cold storage warehouse in Norton in December 2022, which fatally injured one contract worker and seriously injured his colleague. In addition, the release caused about $4m in property damage.
The contractors were installing an electric, ceiling-mounted heater to replace an existing leaking steam heater that provided comfort heating inside the facility’s ammonia refrigeration room.
A scissor lift used for the installation was in an elevated position when it was moved forward and then upward, impacting an ammonia refrigeration system valve. The impact partially severed the ½in threaded pipe connection, releasing the anhydrous ammonia and engulfing the workers.
One of the contractors, who was directly in front of the damaged piping, was unable to escape and was fatally injured by the release. His co-worker, who was further away, jumped over the lift’s guardrail and was found outside the building. He was rushed to a nearby hospital to treat his serious injuries.
Approximately 22,000lb (10,000kg) of ammonia was released during the incident.
The EPA subsequently inspected the facilities and reviewed the company’s risk management programme, finding that the company had not met several of the federal Clean Air Act’s accident prevention requirements. It also found that the company did not quickly report the release and another ammonia release in 2024 to the proper federal officials. Since the accident, the company has made significant safety improvements at both facilities.
In addition to the assessed penalty, the company completed several safety improvements under compliance orders issued in 2024 and 2025. Under the 2025 order, Home Market Foods is also required to hire an independent expert to check the condition and safety of key refrigeration systems at both locations.
