The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently reached a settlement with steel galvanizing company Galvco Maryland LLC, which faced allegations of hazardous waste violations regarding its handling of hydrochloric acid in a Baltimore, Maryland, facility.
While the alleged violations did not involve a spill or release of hazardous waste, the company was accused of not inspecting tanks daily and not having a leak detection system or secondary containment, which is required to prevent spills from entering the surrounding environment. The company also did not have a professional engineer evaluate the tanks for suitability to store hazardous waste prior to using it for that purpose.
These actions are in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which regulates hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal. These rules are instrumental in protecting public and environmental health by minimizing the risk of releases, and also help to prevent the costly cleanups a release would trigger.
Through the settlement agreement, Galvco Maryland will pay a $60,000 civil penalty, a figure that is based on the company’s full cooperation with the EPA in resolving the matter and in bringing its operations into compliance with federal regulations. In agreeing to the settlement, the company does not admit or deny liability.
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