EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 12/18

A smart environmental professional learns from his or her mistakes. A wise environmental professional learns from the mistakes of others. These recent incidents of EPA air, water, and chemical enforcement underscore the tremendous value environmental compliance pros bring to their organizations. All accusations of environmental violations herein are "alleged" unless otherwise noted.

Lion News does not publish names of individuals or companies impacted by EPA enforcement. We share these recent fines in order to help EHS pros identify compliance red flags at their own facilities.

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WHO: A major chemical manufacturer
WHERE: Crossett, AR
WHAT: Clean Air Act violations
HOW MUCH: $600,000 in civil penalties and $3 million in SEPs

After an EPA inspection allegedly uncovered a lack of required air pollution equipment at two wood pulp washers, US EPA has fined a global chemical producerfor violation of the Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) requirements.

As part of the settlement, the company will reduce its emissions of hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and implement supplemental environmental projects to further control H₂S emissions.

Be confident you know your responsibilities for Clean Air Act compliance. The Clean Air Act online course guides you through EPA’s major air programs—including NSPS and NESHAP—to give you a clear view of what you must do to achieve and maintain compliance. 
 

WHO: A paint and coatings manufacturer
WHERE: Williamsport, MD
WHAT: RCRA hazardous waste violations
HOW MUCH: $168,000

A well-known paint and coatings maker will pay $168,000 for alleged violations of EPA’s RCRA hazardous waste regulations. According to EPA, the company failed to meet its responsibilities for proper storage of hazardous waste, RCRA recordkeeping, and release monitoring. These violations were uncovered during an inspection by Maryland Department of Environment.

Under the terms of the settlement reached with EPA, the company will work to properly contain and manage all hazardous waste on site in the future.

Learn the latest rules you must know to keep hazardous waste in compliance in 2019! The RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Workshop comes to Cleveland, Mobile, Cincinnati, Memphis, Chicago, Nashville, St. Louis, Atlanta, Charlotte, Orlando, Indianapolis, Charleston, Detroit, and Richmond in January 2019.
 

WHO: 7 New England companies
WHERE: Cities across New England
WHAT: Chemical planning/reporting violations
HOW MUCH: About $1.3 million combined

Seven companies are facing EPA civil penalties for alleged failure to comply with release reporting and emergency response provisions related to the management of anhydrous ammonia. While violations and penalty amounts differed slightly across the different facilities named in this EPA enforcement notice, the companies allegedly violated one or more of the following requirements:  
 

• Failure to report chemical inventory under EPCRA
• Failure to report under Clean Air Act Risk Management Planning (RMP)
• Failure to report releases
• Failure to properly assess refrigeration equipment for hazards
• Improper or missing hazard labels on pipes and equipment
• Improper storage of anhydrous ammonia
• Inadequate ventilation and/or alarms

The facilities penalized by EPA—which range from cold food storage to ice skating rinks—were located in New Bedford, and Marlborough, MA; Norwalk and New Britain, CT; Easton and Machias, ME; and Portsmouth, NH.
 

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Tags: Act, Air, and, chemical, Clean, emergency, EPA, EPA Enforcement Roundup, EPCRA, fines, penalties, planning