EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 4/22

The EPA Enforcement Roundup gives you insight into how and why US EPA and state partners assess penalties for environmental noncompliance. 

All violations or claims discussed below are alleged only unless we say otherwise, and we withhold the names of organizations and individuals to protect their privacy.

Your EPA Enforcement Roundup for this week:

Chemical company to pay $1.4M in civil penalties to resolve alleged chemical accident prevention violations in Louisiana.

In addition to the civil penalty, the company agreed to make corrections related to a 2022 fire at the facility and issues stemming from a 2021 compliance evaluation. The fire resulted in a shelter-in-place order in Westlake, Louisiana.

Under the settlement, the company will pay a civil penalty of $1,441,712, complete recommendations from a Process Hazard Analysis, better maintain the mechanical integrity of process equipment, resolve compliance issues, improve detection of potential hazards, and improving and communicating operating procedures.

A scrap metal facility in Kansas City, Kansas agrees to a $144,500 settlement to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations.

EPA states that the company failed to adequately control stormwater runoff from its scrap metal recycling and processing facility which could result in illegal discharges of pollution into the Kansas River.

The Agency alleges that the company failed to comply with these terms of its Clean Water Act permit:

• Perform inspections.
• Update and implement practices to prevent runoff of pollution.
• Train employees on stormwater management practices.

A Redding, California-based carrier faces $208,840 in penalties for alleged Clean Water Act violations.

After one of the company’s trucks overturned and spilled a mixture of gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum distillates into storm drains in Redding, California, EPA proposed a settlement requiring the company to pay $208,840.

EPA states that the amount spilled may be harmful, and that those storm drains lead to the San Francisco Bay.

EH&S professionals who finish the Complete Environmental Regulations Online Course can identify the regulations that apply to their facility and locate key requirements to achieve compliance with the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to EPCRA, TSCA, Superfund, and more.

Tags: Clean Water Act, EPA, EPA Enforcement Roundup