New York Governor calls for investigation on cosmetics firm Verla

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has launched a multi-agency investigation on cosmetic company Verla International following a chemical explosion and fire at the firm’s warehouse.

Based in New Windsor, Verla manufactures more than 40 collections of nail polish, colour cosmetics, personal care, creams, lotions, fragrances, and perfumes.

The investigation is set to assess the worker safety conditions and overall compliance of the warehouse with state environmental regulations.

It will be carried out by the Department of Labour, Department of State, and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Cuomo said: “Ensuring the safety and welfare of New Yorkers in the workplace is critically important, and following today’s chemical explosion, I am directing a multi-agency investigation to get to the bottom of what happened and review compliance with state labour and environmental laws.

“Worker safety and environmental protection are top priorities and if there was any misconduct or negligence that led to this incident, we will use the full force of the law to hold the company accountable.”

According to news agencies, the chemical explosions and fire have injured several people, including firefighters.

DEC will evaluate the operations, chemical storage, and use practices at the plant for any environmental violations that might have led to the explosion.

In addition, the department will investigate state and federal environmental regulations such as hazardous waste management methods, along with monitoring of water quality impacts due to the fire.

The Department of Labour will check for presence of asbestos on-site or a flaw in any of the three boilers at the facility, while the Department of State Division of Building Standards and Codes will investigate code compliance activity.