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Clean Harbors of Baltimore to Pay $2,000 Penalty in Hazardous Waste Settlement

Release Date: 4/19/2000
Contact Information: Ruth Podems (215) 814-5540

Ruth Podems, 215-814-5540

BALTIMORE -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Clean Harbors of Baltimore Inc. will pay a $2,000 penalty for alleged improper management of restricted hazardous wastes at its facility at 1910 Russell St. in Baltimore.

EPA alleged that in February 1998, Clean Harbors, a hazardous waste treatment and disposal facility, diluted and incinerated chromium-contaminated waste in violation of federal regulations. The wastes should have been treated, not incinerated. The company voluntarily reported this violation to EPA, resulting in a reduced penalty under the agency’s "self-disclosure" policy.

The policy is designed to encourage companies to voluntarily review their environmental compliance, report and correct their violations. The EPA, in return, substantially reduces and in some cases, eliminates penalties for these violations. However, the policy does not cover criminal violations or those that result in harm to public health or the environment.

The company was cited under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal statute regulating the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA’s "cradle to grave" regulation is designed to prevent costly cleanups of waste sites by requiring their safe, environmentally sound disposal.


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