Bud Light Manufacturer Suffers Another Financial Loss - But It Doesn't Have to Do with Mulvaney
Anheuser-Busch's problems continue to brew.
The beer-making giant received bad news on Monday -- unrelated to the conservative boycott of the company stemming from its decision to partner with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Anheuser-Busch was fined more than half-a-million dollars by the Environmental Protection Agency in a settlement with the government regarding the use of anhydrous ammonia at its facilities.
The $537,000 settlement follows a federal investigation of a 2018 accident at Anheuser-Busch's brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado, that injured two employees, according to an EPA news release.
.@EPA reached a settlement with Anheuser-Busch, LLC. — sending a clear message to companies managing extremely hazardous chemicals that EPA will hold them accountable if they fail to adequately prepare for and prevent chemical accidents. https://t.co/o2WkwVyrFk
— EPAJustice (@EPAJustice) June 6, 2023
The maker of Bud Light was cited for violations of the Clean Air Act’s chemical accident prevention requirements.
The brewing company is required to conduct a comprehensive safety review of 11 breweries that utilize anhydrous ammonia, a widely used industrial refrigerant.
In the news release, EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker described the settlement as a message to corporations stating that unsafe use of the substance would not be tolerated.
"This settlement with Anheuser-Busch sends a clear message to companies that store hazardous materials like anhydrous ammonia that they have an obligation to follow regulations designed to protect our communities and environment from potentially catastrophic consequences of accidents," she said.
“Failure to comply with the law puts first responders and members of the surrounding community in harm’s way.”
The agency accused the beermaker of failing to follow good engineering practices related to the use of anhydrous ammonia.
This settlement isn't the company's first run-in related to the unsafe use of the substance, which can be harmful to the skin and eyes of those it contacts.
In 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration proposed a $92,400 fine against Anheuser-Busch for the allegedly unsafe use of the substance at a brewery in Columbus, Ohio, according to an OSHA news release from the time.
The federal fine for unsafe practices is the least of Anheuser-Busch's problems -- from the perspective of the company's bottom line.
The brewer's stock value has declined 17 percent since May 4, according to Yahoo.
Retailers have struggled to move Bud Light amid a boycott that's threatening its market status.
Conservatives have opted out en masse of a beer associated with Mulvaney, the trans influencer of "365 Days of Girlhood" fame.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
