News Release
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
New England Regional Office
August 23, 2013
Contact: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017
(Boston, Mass. – August 23, 2013) – A commercial waste handler in Rhode Island has agreed to pay a fine of $58,278 and to spend $252,152 to clean hazardous chemicals out of approximately 60 schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in order to settle EPA claims that the company violated state and federal hazardous waste laws at a facility in Providence, R.I.
Northland Environmental and its owner, PSC Environmental Services, will remove chemicals from 60 high schools and middle schools within a 50-mile radius of their Providence facility at 275 Allens Ave. where the violations occurred. The companies have agreed to pack up and properly dispose of both hazardous and non-hazardous wastes stored at the schools; to do hazardous waste training for science and art teachers; and to purchase safety equipment such as storage cabinets for flammable chemicals, eye washes and deluge showers for classrooms where hazardous chemicals are used. This project will be done over 18 months during times when the schools are closed.
EPA alleged that Northland/PSC Environmental Services violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state hazardous waste laws by failing to properly identify certain hazardous wastes and failing to properly maintain hazardous waste tanks and containers. These alleged violations could have resulted in the release of hazardous wastes to the environment. The company also stored incompatible hazardous wastes next to one another, creating a potential for fire or explosions. The company quickly came into compliance after the violations were identified.
“All facilities that generate or manage hazardous wastes have an obligation to make sure they carefully adhere to the environmental requirements that result in safer, cleaner communities,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “This case will have a positive outcome, since the projects under this settlement will help provide safer classrooms at many schools in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.”
The school clean outs will involve removing outdated and unwanted chemicals from schools at no cost to the participating schools. Chemical management is often a low priority for schools and it is not uncommon for school science departments to have outdated and unneeded stock chemicals present.
“I want to thank the EPA and the Cranston School Department for working cooperatively to provide a safe environment for our students,” said City of Cranston Mayor Allan Fung.
“We are pleased to see funds from EPA actions like this reinvested in making Rhode Island a cleaner and safer place,” said Terrence Gray, P.E., Associate Director for Air, Waste and Compliance at the RI Department of Environmental Management. “For many years, DEM has directly supported school districts across Rhode Island by removing old and unnecessary chemicals, but that effort has always been limited by the resources we have available. This recent investment extends this important initiative so that more of these dangerous materials can be taken out of our schools, providing a much safer environment for students and educators.”
“The science classroom environment is of the utmost importance as we work to support teaching and learning for students and teachers. Safety is our first concern so we were delighted to have a partnership with the EPA Integrated Chemical Management Program (ICM) who worked with our science teachers to inventory, organize chemicals, with regards to safety and to the benefit of classroom use. Working with this program provided our teachers with invaluable insights with regards to managing chemical supplies. The ultimate goal is to maximize safety and learning of science inquiry in Cranston Public Schools,” said Dr. Judith Lundsten, Superintendant Cranston Public Schools.
Rhode Island schools within a 50-mile radius of the Northland facility were sent emails letting them know of this opportunity to have toxic, hazardous, or chemicals prohibited by the state removed by participating in this project. Schools that were interested provided a list of the chemicals that need to be removed. Cranston, R.I. is using the opportunity to provide both East and West High School with chemical cleanouts before school starts on Aug. 27.
In addition to paying the fine and completing the environmental project, Northland/PSC has agreed to make sure the Providence facility remains in compliance with federal and state hazardous waste management regulations.
Northland/PSC’s Providence facility accepts and handles a broad spectrum of wastes including acids, alkalis, flammable wastes, water reactive wastes, cyanides, sulfides, oxidizers, toxic wastes, oily wastes, photochemical wastes and laboratory packs. Hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are received, stored and or consolidated and then shipped off site for treatment or disposal.
More information on hazardous waste management: http://www.epa.gov/region1/
Once again, simple mistakes made early: failure to complete a hazardous waste determination; lead to more substantial violations of the RCRA regulations. It is also important to note that one remedy required by the violation is to properly train personnel who generate, handle, treat, or dispose of hazardous waste or may respond to a hazardous waste emergency. RCRA Hazardous Waste Personnel Training – required by 40 CFR 265.16 – is what I do. Contact me to discuss your RCRA training needs.
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Attachment: List of Schools provided with hazardous waste cleanup under this settlement:
RHODE ISLAND
Barrington High School Barrington
Mt. Hope High School Bristol
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Bristol
Central Falls Senior High School Central Falls
Cranston High School East Cranston
Cranston High School West Cranston
New England Laborers’/Cranston Public Schools Construction Career Academy Cranston
Joseph McCourt Middle School Cumberland
East Providence High School East Providence
Burrillville High School Harrisville
Burrillville Middle School Harrisville
Johnston Senior High School Johnston
Lincoln Senior High School Lincoln
William M. Davies, Jr Career and Technical High School Lincoln
Rogers High School Newport
North Providence High School North Providence
Ponaganset High School North Scituate
North Smithfield High School North Smithfield
Blackstone Academy Charter School Pawtucket
William E. Tolman Senior High School Pawtucket
Portsmouth High School Portsmouth
DelSesto Middle School Providence
Mount Pleasant High School Providence
School One Providence
Smithfield High School Smithfield
Tiverton High School Tiverton
Curtis Corner Middle School Wakefield
Toll Gate High School Warwick
Pilgrim High School Warwick
Warwick Veterans Memorial HS Warwick
Chariho Regional High School Wood River Junction
Exeter-West Greenwich Regional High School West Greenwich
Westerly High School Westerly
MASSACHUSETTS
Braintree High School Braintree
Brockton High School Brockton
B.M.C. Durfee High School Fall River
Malden High School Malden
Medford High School Medford
Middleborough High School Middleborough
Plymouth North High School Plymouth
Plymouth South High School Plymouth
North Quincy High School Quincy
Quincy High School Quincy
Randolph High School Randolph
Revere High School Revere
Saugus High School Saugus
Walpole High School Walpole
Waltham High School Waltham
Worcester Public Schools
– Burncoat Middle School Worcester
– Forest Grove Middle School Worcester
– Dr. Arthur F. Sullivan Middle School Worcester
– Worcester East Middle School Worcester
– Burncoat High School Worcester
– Claremont Academy Worcester
– Doherty Memorial High School Worcester
– North High School Worcester
– South High Community School Worcester
– University Park Campus School Worcester
– Worcester Technical High School Worcester