News Releases from Region 03

GWU Hospital in D.C. to pay $108,304 penalty for hazardous waste violations

PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 27, 2021) – The George Washington University Hospital has agreed to pay a $108,304 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at the general medical and surgical hospital in Washington, D.C.

EPA cited the GWU Hospital for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment and avoid long and extensive cleanups by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Alleged violations include failure to label and date hazardous waste containers, storage of hazardous waste for greater than 90 days without a storage permit, failure to maintain aisle space necessary for emergency response, failure to minimize the risk of release of hazardous waste, and failure to conduct weekly inspections of the hazardous waste accumulation area.

The settlement reflects the hospital’s compliance efforts, and its cooperation with EPA in the investigation. As part of the settlement, GWU Hospital has not admitted liability for the alleged violations but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements.

For more information about EPA’s hazardous waste program, visit https://www.epa.gov/hw .