Release Date: 01/13/2014
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

Maryland has an authorized Hazardous Waste Program

PHILADELPHIA (Dec.. xx, 2013) — Warner Graham, LLP, has agreed to pay a $80,650 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its industrial solvent repackaging facility in Cockeysville, Md., the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. 

EPA cited the company 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 costly cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following an April 2012 EPA inspection, and follow-up investigations, EPA cited Warner Graham for RCRA violations involving solvent waste, which is a hazardous waste stored at the facility. The alleged violations involved several RCRA regulations, including requirements for hazardous waste monitoring and inspections, employee training, equipment and tank testing, equipment marking, secondary containment, contingency planning, recordkeeping and reporting. 

In addition to the $80,650 penalty, the company has agreed to perform a $24,550 project to install a less permeable floor beneath the product storage tank area. This project, which exceeds regulatory requirements, will help minimize the potential environmental risk in the event of any accidental releases from these tanks.

The settlement penalty reflects the company’s compliance efforts, and its cooperation with EPA in resolving this matter. As part of the settlement, the company has neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements. 

For more information about hazardous waste and RCRA, visit http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/index.htm

Read the press release here.

Once again a facility faces significant fines and penalties for the violation (alleged) of the RCRA regulations.  It is not uncommon in a situation such as this where a list of violations is indicated, “…requirements for hazardous waste monitoring and inspections, employee training, equipment and tank testing, equipment marking, secondary containment, contingency planning, recordkeeping and reporting.” that one of the violations includes a failure to train Facility Personnel per the requirements of 40 CFR 265.16.  Initial and annual training of your employees will not only fulfill the requirements of 40 CFR 265.16, it will also teach them how to do their job in compliance with the regulations.  Thorough, high-quality training like mine will go even further, giving you and your employees the knowledge to find the potential violations of the RCRA regulations and the tools to fix them.  Good training saves you money and the head aches and bad press that goes along with violations.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me about the regulations of the USEPA or Maryland for the management of hazardous waste.