ROQUETTE AMERICA, INC.

According to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement records, ROQUETTE AMERICA, INC. — a wet corn milling and starch manufacturing facility located at 1003 S. 5TH STREET, KEOKUK, IA 52632 — was the subject of a formal OSHA inspection that resulted in 27 citation(s) and cumulative proposed penalties of $64,475.00. The inspection case was opened on 2005-10-11.

Cumulative penalties significantly exceed the national median for OSHA enforcement actions. The penalty amount suggests multiple high-gravity citations, indicating conditions that presented a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm to employees.

BLS Injury Data: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2022), this industry sector has an occupational injury rate of 3.3 per 100 full-time workers — 22% above the national average of 2.7. The sector fatality rate is 2.3 per 100,000 workers.

EPA Environmental Record: The EPA currently lists this facility under Significant Violation status. regulated under: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA Hazardous Waste, Toxics Release Inventory, Greenhouse Gas Reporting. Toxic Release Inventory reports 317306 lbs in releases/transfers. Source: EPA ECHO database.

Industry Benchmark: The total penalty of $64,475.00 is more than 7.6× the national average of $8,527.19 for facilities in the Manufacturing sector (NAICS 311221). This sector encompasses 24,420 inspected facilities nationwide with aggregate penalties totaling $208.2M.

State Context: Within IA, this facility's penalty places it at the 100th percentile among 19,658 inspected facilities. The statewide average penalty is $2,797.42.

Citation Analysis: The inspection produced 27 citations spanning 5 distinct OSHA regulatory standards. The citation breakdown includes: 12 serious — A workplace hazard that could cause death or serious physical harm exists, and the employer knew or should have known about the condition. 3 other-than-serious — The violation has a direct relationship to job safety and health but is unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Enforcement Timeline: Citations were issued beginning November 17, 2005 with the latest abatement deadline set for November 6, 2012. Of the 27 total citations, 15 (56%) have been marked as abated in DOL records, suggesting partial progress toward required corrective actions.

Penalty Assessment: The cumulative penalty of $64,475.00 reflects OSHA's gravity-based penalty calculation methodology, which considers the severity of potential injury, the probability of occurrence, the employer's size, good faith, and violation history. The per-citation average of $2,387.96 falls within the standard penalty range.

The 2005 enforcement action against Roquette America’s Keokuk facility reveals a pervasive