EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 11/29
Every day, facilities all across America receive Notices of Violation from US EPA for alleged noncompliance with a wide variety of programs like the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, chemical management and reporting regulations, hazardous waste management and disposal standards, and much more.
EPA raised its maximum civil penalties in 2016, making it more critical than ever that EHS professionals understand how these complex regulatory programs affect their facilities. We hope providing information about EPA enforcement cases will help you identify and fix noncompliance issues that could leave your company facing down costly penalties and future liability.
In a press release posted just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the US Department of Justice announced that a major American steel producer will pay $2,200,000 to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.
In addition to the civil penalty, the company will fund nearly $3 million worth of environmental projects. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will repair (and eventually replace) a bell top on a blast furnace to reduce emissions, and take other steps to improve environmental compliance.
Have questions about the Clean Air Act? Check out the FAQ on this page.
WHO: Three Texas Universities
Three major Texas universities will pay $11,330; $30,591; and $141,912 to each resolve RCRA hazardous waste management violations, according to US EPA.
In each case, the university facilities were operating as small quantity generators (SQGs). However, the volume of hazardous waste generated by these facilities put them over the large quantity generator (LQGs) threshold of 1,000 kg or more per month, or 1 kg or more per month of acutely hazardous waste.
LQGs are subject to stricter hazardous waste requirements, including providing annual RCRA training for facility personnel, maintaining a written contingency plan, and others. In other instances, some of the universities failed to properly make hazardous waste determinations as required under RCRA.
Managing site compliance with the many complex EPA programs that affect your business—from the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA, and more—is a major challenge. If you’re new to the field, or need an update on changing EPA rules, the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop will help you identify the requirements that apply to your facility and make decisions that put your team in a position to succeed.
Planning for next year? The 2017 schedule is available now and includes a workshop in our new Environmental Training Center in Sparta, NJ! Register to receive a full year of Lion Membership for complete on-the-job compliance support.
EPA raised its maximum civil penalties in 2016, making it more critical than ever that EHS professionals understand how these complex regulatory programs affect their facilities. We hope providing information about EPA enforcement cases will help you identify and fix noncompliance issues that could leave your company facing down costly penalties and future liability.
WHO: A major American steel company
WHERE: Steel plants in IN, IL, and MI
WHAT: Clean Air Act violations
HOW MUCH: $2.2 million
In a press release posted just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the US Department of Justice announced that a major American steel producer will pay $2,200,000 to settle alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.In addition to the civil penalty, the company will fund nearly $3 million worth of environmental projects. Under the terms of the settlement, the company will repair (and eventually replace) a bell top on a blast furnace to reduce emissions, and take other steps to improve environmental compliance.
Have questions about the Clean Air Act? Check out the FAQ on this page.
WHO: Three Texas Universities
WHERE: Fort Worth, Weslaco, Amarillo, College Station, & others
WHAT: RCRA hazardous waste violations
HOW MUCH: A combined $184,000
Three major Texas universities will pay $11,330; $30,591; and $141,912 to each resolve RCRA hazardous waste management violations, according to US EPA. In each case, the university facilities were operating as small quantity generators (SQGs). However, the volume of hazardous waste generated by these facilities put them over the large quantity generator (LQGs) threshold of 1,000 kg or more per month, or 1 kg or more per month of acutely hazardous waste.
LQGs are subject to stricter hazardous waste requirements, including providing annual RCRA training for facility personnel, maintaining a written contingency plan, and others. In other instances, some of the universities failed to properly make hazardous waste determinations as required under RCRA.
Complete EPA Regulations Workshops – 2017 Schedule Now Available!
Managing site compliance with the many complex EPA programs that affect your business—from the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to TSCA, FIFRA, EPCRA, and more—is a major challenge. If you’re new to the field, or need an update on changing EPA rules, the Complete Environmental Regulations Workshop will help you identify the requirements that apply to your facility and make decisions that put your team in a position to succeed.
Planning for next year? The 2017 schedule is available now and includes a workshop in our new Environmental Training Center in Sparta, NJ! Register to receive a full year of Lion Membership for complete on-the-job compliance support.
Tags: EPA, fines and penalties
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