2 Northeast Firms Pay Big RCRA Hazardous Waste Settlements

In a pair of press releases on May 12, US EPA announced that two companies will settle allegations that the firms failed to comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste regulations.

Lab Materials Manufacturer Settles RCRA Violations for $199,500

A Taunton, Massachusetts manufacturer will pay nearly $200,000 to resolve allegations it violated Federal and State Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste requirements. According to an EPA press release, the company failed to properly store hazardous waste and violated regulations that require sites to monitor potential air emissions from equipment containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the precursors to ozone.

Get up to speed with new EPA Clean Air Act Rules for ozone here.

The facility, according to US EPA, generates many types of waste covered under the RCRA hazardous waste rules, including ignitable and corrosive wastes, waste solvents, and off-spec wastes. Like many states, Massachusetts has created unique hazardous waste requirements that go above and beyond what’s required under RCRA. Since being found in violation of RCRA, the company has contracted with a third party to bring its operations into compliance, EPA says.

Waste Services Company to Pay $57,240 Hazardous Waste Fine

EPA also announced that a waste services company has been fined $57,240 for its own RCRA violations. EPA alleges the company violated RCRA rules at its Middlesex, New Jersey facility by failing to keep hazardous waste containers closed. Under RCRA, all hazardous waste containers (like 55-gallon drums) must be kept closed, unless waste is being added or removed from the container. See 40 CFR 265.173(a).

In addition, according to the EPA’s press release, the company did not properly monitor emissions to detect leaks from pumping equipment.

RCRA Training – In the Classroom or Over the Web

Join a full-time Lion RCRA instructor to satisfy your annual EPA training requirement for hazardous waste managers and personnel at the RCRA Hazardous Waste Management Refresher Webinar on June 7. Presented live, this interactive webinar will keep you engaged with exercises, polls, Q&A, and software interactions. Meet your RCRA training requirement in one day, and get a full year of Lion Membership for follow-up support! 

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Tags: hazardous, RCRA, state rules, waste