EPA Enforcement Roundup: Week of 11/4

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.

Your EPA Enforcement Roundup for this week:

A hydraulic equipment manufacturer paid $366,000 to US EPA to resolve alleged hazardous waste management violations.

The manufacturer makes hydraulic equipment and industrial products at its facility in Enumclaw, Washington. Upon inspection of the site, EPA inspectors claim to have found the company was treating dangerous waste (hazardous waste) without a permit.

EPA says the company also failed to:

• Adequately train staff about the risks of hazmat treatment, handling, and storage.
• Follow appropriate management standards for containers of hazardous waste.
• Conduct inspections of the facility.

According to EPA, the company’s violations created an increased risk of releases of toxic substances and worker exposures. The company also recently settled another case in which EPA alleged the company violated its Clean Water Act stormwater permit.

A natural gas producer paid a $9.4M penalty in a settlement that EPA claims will result in reduction of 113,000 tons of CO₂ pollution.

The settlement resolved alleged violations from US EPA and NMED that the company failed to reduce emissions during well completion operations following hydraulic fracturing (e.g., fracking). This is the first case to address alleged violations of the Clean Air Act New Source Performance Standards covering well completions following fracking.

The $9.4M penalty will be split between the Federal government and the state of New Mexico. The company is required to hire an EPA-approved auditor to ensure compliance with the Clean Air Act and New Mexico Air Quality Control Act requirements.

A Fresno, California frozen foods company settled with US EPA to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.

US EPA conducted an inspection of the facility located in Fresno, California. Based on the inspection, EPA identified several deficiencies relating to the Clean Air Act’s Risk Management Program (RMP), including failures to:

• Document ammonia refrigeration equipment complied with industry safety standards.
• Correct equipment deficiencies in a timely manner.
• Conduct respirator fit testing for ammonia operators.
• Make timely repairs to ammonia piping and equipment to fix safety hazards which were identified during a Compliance Audit.

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: Clean Air Act, EPA Enforcement Roundup, hazardous waste management, RCRA