BILLINGS, Mont. – A Louisiana company hired by CHS Inc. to build the $325 million coker facility at the Laurel refinery has paid a $40,000 fine for hiring unlicensed electricians for the project.
Arguments over whether Turner Industries Group LLC was bound by a law requiring that people doing electrical work in Montana have a state license reached the Montana Supreme Court before a settlement was reached in January. The state had initially proposed a $60,000 fine.
John Noland, a master electrician who works for Turner, was licensed. However, the state Department of Labor and Industry received complaints that 79 unlicensed employees were doing electrical work at CHS.
Lorraine Schneider, an attorney for the Business Standards division of the Labor Department, said Noland was also fined $1,000.
In addition to the fines, Turner Industries agreed to comply with Montana laws and use only licensed electricians where required, Schneider said.
Information from: Billings Gazette, http://www.billingsgazette.com