U.S. Labor Department Issues $900,000 in Penalties to 2 Companies After Fatality

The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Florida painting contractor for willfully exposing workers to fall and drowning hazards.

 

Investigators with OSHA determined that on April 7, 2025, Seminole Equipment, Inc. bridge painters were removing scaffolding from the southbound I-95 bridge on the Ogeechee River when one worker fell into the river and drowned. The agency concluded that the Tarpon Springs, Florida-based employer failed to ensure employees used fall protection and life jackets while working on the bridge section.

 

"A critical piece of our mission to put American workers first is ensuring they are safe and protected on the job," said Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. "No American should go into work fearing they might not make it home at the end of the day. OSHA is taking concrete enforcement action to stop preventable tragedies."

 

"The Department of Labor is committed to protecting our nation's workforce by holding bad actors accountable," said Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling. "We will continue addressing careless practices when we see them to achieve our shared goal of safe and productive workplaces for all Americans."

 

OSHA cited Seminole Equipment, Inc. for five willful and three serious violations and proposed $877,220 in penalties.

 

The agency also issued two serious violations to The L.C. Whitford Co., Inc., the controlling employer for the site, and proposed a penalty of $26,480.

 

 

The EPA announced that is has required Chitolie Trucking Service, LLC to comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA) after identifying deficiencies in how it manages wastewater and stormwater at its St. Croix facility. The violations were identified during joint inspections by EPA and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) where the agencies identified unpermitted discharges of process wastewater and stormwater from the company’s industrial operations. The order requires the company to stop discharging pollutants into Cane Garden Bay and prevents repetition of the violations.  

 

“Construction activities and facilities play a crucial role in local economies, but without proper controls, they can risk polluting nearby waterways,” said EPA Regional Administrator Michael Martucci. “EPA was glad to collaborate with the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources to safeguard the vital coastal water resources in the Caribbean.”  

 

The facility was found to be discharging pollutants where ready-mix concrete is produced, and local trucking services are provided. Under EPA’s order, Chitolie Trucking Service, LLC must control its pollution in the short term and submit progress reports documenting the progress of actions taken to comply. In the longer term, they must obtain the necessary permits from DPNR, which will include required pollution controls. EPA and DPNR will help ensure that the company understands its obligations under environmental regulations and that it operates in a manner that protects local water quality.   

 

 

OSHA has extended by 30 days the post-hearing comment period for its possible rule to prevent heat-related injury and illness in outdoor and indoor work settings, according to a Federal Register notice published today. The agency held an informal public hearing on its proposed heat rule from June 16 through July 2, 2025. The extension announced today allows those who submitted notices of intention to appear during the hearing to file evidence and data as well as provide final written briefs and responses to questions OSHA asked during the hearing until Oct. 30.

 

OSHA has published two resources intended to help individuals prepare their comments: a list of questions the agency posed to participants at the informal hearing (PDF) and a shorter list of common questions that OSHA asked hearing participants (PDF). Recordings and transcripts from the hearing are also available via OSHA’s website.

 

Provisions of OSHA’s heat rule, as proposed, would require affected employers to develop and implement site-specific heat injury and illness prevention plans as well as plans to acclimatize new or returning workers who may be unaccustomed to working in high-heat conditions. The proposed rule also addresses requirements for drinking water, rest breaks, and control of indoor heat.

 

 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released a new tool that predicts wildfire hazards in the United States and can be used by emergency response officials and firefighters to improve their situational awareness. The tool provides an assessment of wildfire potential, updated hourly, based on modeled predictions of weather conditions, according to a NOAA press release.

 

Scientists from NOAA’s Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) and the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder created the tool, which is called the Hourly Wildfire Potential (HWP) Index. The tool builds on the agency’s High-Resolution Rapid Refresh forecast model.

 

“We expect that this index can help forecasters anticipate sudden changes in wildfire activity, as well as predict wildfire smoke emissions, leading to improved decision support for fire management and enhanced communication with communities impacted by fire and smoke,” said Eric James, a GSL scientist.