EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 4/9

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.

Below are examples of recent EPA enforcement actions that provide insight into how and why EPA issues civil penalties to facilities for environmental noncompliance. Names of companies and individuals cited by EPA are withheld to protect their privacy.

WHO: An electric car manufacturer
WHERE: Fremont, CA
WHAT: Hazardous waste noncompliance
HOW MUCH: $86,000

An electric car manufacturer will pay a $31,000 civil penalty and spend $55,000 to equip local responders with emergency response equipment after inspections of a facility in 2017 revealed improper hazardous mast management—including failure to make accurate hazardous waste determinations, improper storage of hazardous waste and used lamps, and failure to properly close hazardous waste containers.

In addition to correcting the violations to come into compliance, the company also provided hazardous waste training for more than 1,000 paint shop workers, technicians, and supervisors, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Strengthen your RCRA expertise and learn what you need to know to keep hazardous waste in compliance from cradle to grave. The RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Workshop comes to St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Houston, Dallas, Cincinnati, and Detroit in May. 

Can't join us live? Check out the RCRA online course or RCRA Refresher online course. 

WHO: An oil and asphalt storage facility
WHERE: Portland, ME
WHAT: Clean Air Act emission violations
HOW MUCH: $40,000

A company that stores and distributes oil products and asphalt will pay a civil penalty after testing of its heated storage tanks indicated the tanks emit Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs)—the precursor to ozone—at higher levels than their permit indicates.

In addition to paying the civil penalty, the company will apply for a revised air permit, adjust its procedures, and limit its inventory of products that emit the VOCs.
 

WHO: A sewage treatment plant owner
WHERE: near Ridgeley, WV
WHAT: Clean Water Act permit and discharge violations
HOW MUCH: Up to 3 years incarceration

A West Virginia man who admitted that his organization violated permits and discharged untreated sewage into the Potomac River has pleaded guilty to two counts, one for permit violations and one for submitting falsified discharge monitoring reports.

The man faces up to three years in jail and tens of thousands of dollars in fines for the permit count, and up to two years incarceration and a fine up to $10,000 for the illegal discharge count.

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, online training is a convenient way to quickly build in-depth expertise.

Check out the latest 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 2019 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: Clean Air Act, EPA Enforcement, EPA Enforcement Roundup, hazardous waste, RCRA, Superfund