MACEDONIA, Ohio — The cleanup continues at Royal Chemical in Macedonia following a tanker truck explosion that injured three people on Wednesday.
According to the city of Macedonia, one of the three people that were injured remains hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. Cleveland-based EnviroServe is handling the site cleanup, executing the recovery plan that was approved and overseen by the Ohio EPA.
Meanwhile, a records search by 3News has revealed that Royal Chemical has been cited for violations in the past by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
In 2022, OSHA cited Royal Chemical for what was termed as a "serious" offense. During an inspection, the agency says it discovered "a forklift in need of repairs, including a missing mirror and worn brake and pedal, was not taken out of service, exposing employees to potential struck by hazard."
Royal Chemical was initially fined $7,044, but ended up owing $4,930.
Six years earlier, OSHA cited Royal Chemical for "employee(s) using a tight-fitting facepiece respirator (that) were not annually fit tested" and for "respiratory protection training not being conducted annually." No fines were issued for those citations.
In 2021, the EPA found that Royal Chemical "failed to submit an accurately completed Pesticide Report for Pesticide-Producing and Device-Producing Establishments (EPA Form 3540-16), for the 2017, 2018, and 2019 calendar years." The company was given a "formal notice of warning."