Manufacturer violates air, hazwaste regs
Radar detector manufacturer
Massachusetts
EPA Region 1
Air and hazwaste violations: According to the Massachusetts DEP, the company failed to comply with its existing Air Pollution Control Plan approval and failed to post a sign and delineate its hazardous waste accumulation area.
Penalty: $5,700 fine
City hammered for stormwater
Huntington
West Virginia
EPA Region 3
CWA violations: The EPA alleges that the Huntington, West Virginia, violated the terms of the statewide MS4 permit by failing to identify and address improper discharges to the system and control stormwater from newly developed and redeveloped sites. The city also allegedly failed to provide employee training in reducing pollution in municipal operations.
Penalty: $15,000 fine
Leaks at plastics facility
Plastics producer
Alabama
EPA Region 4
CAA violations: The company allegedly failed to monitor and repair leaking equipment, demonstrate compliance with regulations applicable to chemical plants, and report known violations to the EPA.
Penalty: $1 million fine
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Excavator cited for worker bucket-riding
Excavating company
Michigan
EPA Region 5
OSHA violations: According to OSHA, the company was cited for two willful safety violations. The willfuls were issued for failure to prohibit workers from riding the excavator bucket and for failing to provide a safe means of egress from the trench.
Penalty: $123,750 fine
Costly manure application
Beef feedlot
Nebraska
EPA Region 7
CWA violations: The feedlot violated its NPDES permit concerning land application of manure and wastewater from its lagoons. The over-application of manure created a significant risk that pollutants would reach the wood River.
Penalty: $20,000 fine
Surface impoundment sting
Petroleum facility
Wyoming
EPA Region 8
RCRA violations: The company allegedly violated RCRA by storing hazardous wastes in a wastewater pond that was neither constructed nor operated properly to prevent overflowing and leaks. EPA is investigating ponds such as this, referred to as surface impoundments, as part of a nationwide initiative,
Penalty: $900,000 fine
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No dumping in protected wetlands
Construction firm
Northern California
EPA Region 9
CWA violations: The company dumped the equivalent of 200 large dump truck loads of material into protected wetlands crucial to neighboring salmon populations. In addition to the penalty, the construction company will spend $150,000 to repair and restore 9 acres of wetlands crucial to these populations.
Penalty: $170,000 fine
Mishandling refrigerants reels-in fine
Seafood catcher-processing company
Seattle
EPA Region 10
CAA violations: According to EPA, the settlement resolves the companies’ improper release and illegal import of ozone-depleting refrigerants, failure to repair refrigerant leaks in a timely manner, failure to verify adequacy of repairs to their refrigeration system; inadequate records of repair service on refrigerant system; and use of uncertified employees to perform refrigerant-related work
Penalty: $700,000