EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 12/2

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. We withhold the names of organizations and individuals to protect their privacy.

Your EPA Enforcement Roundup for this week:

A scrap metal shredding facility in Maine will pay a $42,613 penalty to resolve alleged violations of State and Federal air regulations.

EPA alleged that the company failed to:

• Have the correct air emissions license for its shredder, which limits the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that may be released into the air.
• Obtain a Clean Air Act Title V operating permit, also known as an air emission license, which is required for major sources of air pollution in Maine.
• Meet technology requirements.

The facility has submitted a permit application to the State of Maine for its shredding activities that will improve the facility's compliance with federal and state laws.

A construction company faces $80,000 in civil penalties for alleged Clean Water Act violations in Aguada, Puerto Rico.

US EPA alleged that the company began construction on a 13-acre site without the necessary permits or required erosion and sediment controls. The Agency also stated that stormwater runoff carried harmful pollutants from the site into the Cañas River. The company will be required to submit bimonthly reports to EPA to demonstrate ongoing compliance.

An administrative order filed by US EPA requires the company to:

• Stabilize soil and control erosion.
• Develop a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP).
• Secure coverage under EPA’s Construction General Permit (CGP) to prevent future discharges.

A wood product fabricator faces a $51,651 civil penalty for alleged hazardous waste violations at its wood treating facility in Oregon.

According to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), the company has been a large-quantity generator of hazardous waste since 1994. DEQ alleges that the company treated hazardous waste without a permit, stored hazardous waste outside of a tank or container, and failed to:

• Properly dispose of hazardous waste.
• Make hazardous waste determinations.
• Maintain an “existing drip pad” surface material free of cracks and gaps.
• Meet requirements for hazardous waste accumulation.
• Include a procedure for responding to discharge of infrequent and incidental drippage from treated lumber storage in the yard in the facility’s Contingency Plan.

Complete Environmental Regulations Training

Want a clearer idea of how major EPA air, water, and chemical programs all fit together to affect your site's activities? Join in on the next Complete Environmental Regulations Webinar on December 19–20 at Lion.com.

EH&S professionals who attend 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. Prefer to train at your own pace? Try the interactive online course.

Tags: EPA Enforcement Roundup, hazardous waste management, RCRA