Search

EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 2/3

Posted on 2/3/2025 by Lion Technology Inc.

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.

An Illinois-based waste company will pay $9.5M to resolve alleged hazardous waste violations nationwide.

US EPA and the Department of Justice announced an agreed settlement with a hazardous waste management company for alleged “systemic, nationwide violations” of the RCRA hazardous waste regulations over a period of several years.

The Agency states that the company failed to:
  • Properly manage hazardous waste.
  • Accurately maintain required manifest records when transporting hazardous waste.
  • Timely submit information for thousands of manifests to the e-Manifest system.
The settlement requires payment of a $9.5 million civil penalty, one of the largest civil penalties ever paid for RCRA violations. The company “largely ceased managing hazardous waste” in the US back in 2020 but is accountable for these alleged violations that occurred before that cessation.


An Oregon petroleum distribution and storage company paid an $87,700 penalty to resolve alleged Clean Water Act violations.

During an inspection, Agency officials allegedly found violations of the Clean Water Act’s Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) regulations, which require facilities to prepare and implement a plan to protect local waterways and shorelines from the discharge of oil.

Federal inspectors found that the company failed to:
  • Ensure that the facility’s diagrams match the actual facility layout.
  • Maintain adequate secondary containment in the event of a spill.
  • Have inspection records for oil-water separators used as spill prevention equipment at the facility.
  • Include routine periodic leak testing procedures for underground oil piping in the facility’s plan.


A New Mexico refinery must implement compliance measures at an estimated cost of $137M to resolve alleged Clean Air Act violations.

The refinery allegedly failed to comply with “a wide range” of regulations that cover flaring, fenceline monitoring of benzene emissions, wastewater, storage vessels, leak detection and repair, and heat exchanger leaks.

Under the settlement, the refinery must pay a civil penalty of $35 million—half to the US, and half to New Mexico.

Including reductions already achieved in response to EPA’s investigations, the compliance measures are projected to achieve reductions of 180 tons per year of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), 2,716 tons per year of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 51 tons per year of NOx, and 31 tons per year of sulfur dioxide.


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 January 30–31 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: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, EPA Enforcement Roundup, hazardous waste management

Find a Post

Compliance Archives

Lion - Quotes

I like Lion's workshops the best because they really dig into the information you need to have when you leave the workshop.

Tom Bush, Jr.

EHS Manager

These are the best commercial course references I have seen (10+ years). Great job!

Ed Grzybowski

EHS & Facility Engineer

I attended training from another provider and learned absolutely nothing. Lion is much better. Hands down.

Nicole Eby

Environmental Specialist

Excellent course. Very interactive. Explanations are great whether you get the questions wrong or right.

Gregory Thompson

Environmental, Health & Safety Regional Manager

Given the choice, I would do all coursework this way. In-person courses go very fast without the opportunity to pause or repeat anything.

Ellen Pelton

Chemical Laboratory Manager

My experience with Lion training, both online and in the classroom, is that they are far better organized and provide a better sequential explanation of the material.

Robert Roose

Manager, Dangerous Goods Transportation

As always, Lion never disappoints

Paul Resley

Environmental Coordinator

Very good. I have always appreciated the way Lion Tech develops, presents and provides training and materials.

John Troy

Environmental Specialist

The instructor was very very informative, helpful, understandable and pleasant. This course answered many questions I had, being new to this industry.

Frances Mona

Shipping Manager

Energetic/enthusiastic! Made training enjoyable, understandable and fun!

Amanda Walsh

Hazardous Waste Professional

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Look beyond the annual "Top 10 List" to see specifics about the most cited OSHA health & safety Standards and the individual regulations that tripped up employers the most last year. 

Latest Whitepaper

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.