Fertilizer manufacturer fined nearly $400K in worker death

A Pasco, Washington, fertilizer manufacturer with a track record of fines for putting their employees at risk now faces another large penalty in connection with the death of one of its workers, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries announced Wednesday.

Two Rivers Terminal LLC has been fined $394,200 for safety violations following the death of a worker, who was seen in surveillance footage inserting a ladder into an opening on top of the tanker truck, then entering the tank with a garden hose to clean it out before the next delivery of fertilizer. L&I inspectors say the fertilizer residue inside the tank created hydrogen sulfide gas that killed him.

At the time of the incident, Two Rivers Terminal was still appealing two safety citations issued by L&I in 2022 and 2023, totaling $672,320 for 96 serious and 43 general violations. In 2012, a Two Rivers Terminal worker was crushed to death. Three other workers have been hospitalized since 2010. The company is part of L&I’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.