Pfizer answers for Clean Air Act violations

NEW YORK Pfizer has become the first company to face penalties in a federal court under PharmaMACT regulations for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act, according to the Department of Justice.

The department alleges that between October 2002 and December 2005, Pfizer failed to conduct tests at its Groton, Conn., plant to identify leaks, repair the leaks, place seals on open-ended lines and document leak tests to satisfy leak detection and repair requirements.

A federal court imposed a penalty of $975,000, which the company paid. Pfizer has denied that the violations caused environmental harm and says the penalty does not fit the severity of the violations. It also said that it reported the problems leading to the violations to the government.