EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 9/14

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.

A national waste management company faces $1.04M in penalties for alleged hazardous waste management violations.

The Washington Department of Ecology found, during two inspections, that the waste management company failed to properly store and deliver hazardous waste to appropriate destinations; altered customer shipping documentation; and mishandled used oil, flammable paints, solvents, aerosol paints, brake cleaner, oily water mixtures, state regulated toxic waste, and corrosive materials.

An aircraft painting facility in Alabama was cited for alleged hazardous waste noncompliance.

The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (DEM) proposed to issue a Consent Order that contains a civil penalty of $9,720 and would require the facility to come into compliance with the state’s environmental regulations.

According to the proposed Consent Order, the facility stored hazardous waste for greater than 90 days without a permit, and failed to:

• Keep satellite accumulation containers of hazardous waste closed.
• Properly label satellite accumulation containers of hazardous waste.
• Properly label containers of hazardous waste.
• Keep its contingency plan up to date.
• Properly document weekly inspections of the central hazardous waste accumulation area.

An automotive tools company faces enforcement action for alleged hazardous waste violations in Ohio.

The company’s forged-tool finishing facility does machining, polishing, and chrome plating in Mogadore, Ohio. The Ohio EPA performed an inspection of the facility after receiving an unmanifested waste report indicating the company transported two drums of hazardous waste to a facility not authorized to receive hazardous waste.

As a result of the inspection, the Ohio EPA found that the company caused two 55-gallon containers of hazardous waste to be transported to a facility not authorized to receive hazardous waste, established and operated the facility as a hazardous waste storage facility without a hazardous waste permit, and failed to:

• Evaluate two 55-gallon containers of hazardous waste sodium hydroxide (D002).
• Transport hazardous waste on a hazardous waste manifest.
• Label a 1-yard³ container of hazardous waste in the central accumulation area (CAA) with the accumulation start date.
• Label a satellite accumulation container of hazardous waste with the words “hazardous waste.”
• Label a satellite accumulation container of hazardous waste with an indication of the hazards of the contents.

The company faces a $6,400 penalty.

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