EPA Levies Fines To Crack Down On Hazardous Waste Violations

WORLD WASTES STAFF

Washington, D.C. - Citing concerns about public safety, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has levied more than $19 million in fines against 38 facilities that burn hazardous waste.

In a similar action, Illinois is seeking more than $3 million from Chemical Waste Management Inc. for fugitive air emissions at its Sauget, Ill., incinerator.

EPA's Carol Browner said the agency will work with state officials to file other "high-profile, significant penalty enforcement actions."

The initial salvo in the battle against combustion facilities includes actions against 11 cement kilns, four incinerators and 24 other units, mostly boilers. Holman Inc., was fined more than $800,000 for violations at its South Carolina cement kiln and is the only company besides Chem Waste cited for actual air emissions violations. Several firms were charged with providing inadequate monitoring of emissions and hazardous waste feed rates, exceeding feed rate limits and a variety of analysis and storage violations.