EPA Fines Southern California Facility for Hazardous Waste Violations
Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with the Sherwin-Williams Company (doing business as Engineered Polymer Solutions) to resolve claims of violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at the company’s manufacturing facility in Commerce, California. The settlement requires the facility to pay a civil penalty of $306,436 and return to compliance.
The facility produces resins used as base materials for paints. During a routine inspection, EPA determined that the company had failed to properly identify hazardous waste it was generating, including chemicals like xylene, toluene, and butanol.
“The improper disposal of hazardous waste poses a clear risk to human health and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Amy Miller. “EPA is holding companies accountable for managing dangerous waste properly, and we’re ensuring communities in Commerce and the surrounding areas are protected.”
EPA also found that the facility failed to meet air emission standards for equipment and hazardous waste storage tanks, maintain proper containment systems, conduct required daily inspections, and determine whether waste must be treated before it can be disposed.
Under the settlement, the company will complete return to compliance tasks, including submitting documentation to EPA that shows whether certain wastes are RCRA hazardous waste or non-RCRA hazardous waste and that demonstrates whether air emissions standards apply to certain equipment and tanks at the facility.
Background:
Hazardous waste that is improperly managed poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. The RCRA statute, enacted in 1976, set up a framework for the proper management of hazardous waste. EPA’s regulations under RCRA protect humans and the environment from exposures to pollutants in hazardous waste.
Learn more about EPA’s enforcement program and how to report possible violations of environmental laws and regulations to the EPA.
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