EPA Enforcement Roundup: April 2017

Every day, facilities across the US receive Notices of Violation from US EPA for alleged noncompliance with a wide variety of programs like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, chemical management and reporting regulations (TSCA, EPCRA, CERCLA, etc.), hazardous waste management and disposal standards (RCRA), and much more.
 
For the second time in six months, EPA in January raised its fines for noncompliance with major environmental programs. We hope that providing information about EPA enforcement cases will help you identify and fix noncompliance issues that could leave your company facing costly penalties and future liability.
 

Who: A major paint and coatings company
Where: New Jersey
What: Superfund cleanup costs
How Much: $14 million

A major paint and coatings company will pay $14 million to fund EPA’s cleanup of a Gibbsboro, New Jersey Superfund site contaminated with lead and arsenic. According to US EPA’s press release, the cleanup effort will remove 23,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil from the site.

The company has already taken extensive actions to clean up the site. It removed tens of thousands of gallons of liquid waste, installed new treatment equipment and fencing, and began cleaning up contaminated soil near the site. See the full Administrative Consent Order here.
 

Who: A cathode ray tube recycler
Where: Portland, OR
What: RCRA hazardous waste violations
How much: $164,400

An electronics recycling firm and service provider for Oregon’s state e-waste collection program will pay a six-figure civil penalty for improper management and disposal of cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
According to Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality, the company failed to perform hazardous waste characterization for CRTs and failed to manage its waste in line with applicable regulations.
 

Who: The US Navy
Where: Oahu, HI
What: Safe Drinking Water Act UIC violations
How much: $94,212

For failure to close 3 cesspools serving military personnel at now joint Pearl Harbor Naval Station and Hickam Air Force base, the US Navy will pay a $94,212 civil penalty. Since 2005, the use of cesspools is banned under the Safe Drinking Water Act’s Underground Injection Control (UIC) program—with an exception for single family homes connected to individual cesspools.

According to US EPA, the Navy closed six of the nine cesspools on the base in 2012. In addition to paying the five-figure civil penalty, the Navy has now replaced the remaining three cesspools with wastewater treatment systems. 
 

Convenient, Effective Online EHS Manager Training

Managing site compliance with the many complex EPA programs that affect your business—from the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to TSCA, EPCRA, CERLCA, and more—is a major challenge. If you’re new to the field, or need an update on changing EPA rules, the Complete Environmental Regulations Online Course will help you quickly build in-depth expertise.

Or, check out the latest individual EPA compliance training options here:
 
Clean Air Act Regulations Online
TSCA Regulations Online
New! Clean Water Act & SDWA Regulations Online
Just Launched! Superfund and Right-to-Know Act Regulations Online 
 
The 2017 nationwide schedule for the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop is now available. Collaborate with other managers to identify the requirements that apply to your facility, ask the right questions, and make the right decisions about EPA compliance.
 

Tags: Act, Air, Clean, Clean Water Act, EPA, EPA Enforcement Roundup, fines and penalties, Superfund