News
U.S. EPA fines Van Nuys metal plater
$100,000 for hazardous waste violations (CA)
(06/29/11)
Protection Agency fined TMW Corporation, 14660 Arminta Street, Van
Nuys, $100,000, for violations of the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act.
The violations were discovered at the
company’s facility, Crown Chrome Plating, a Division of TMW
Corporation, during an inspection conducted by EPA in April 2009.
The facility, which does metal plating primarily for the aerospace
industry, is located in a light industrial zone of Van Nuys, a San
Fernando Valley community of approximately 136,000
residents.
“The toxic wastes and sludges at the
Crown Chrome facility have the potential to pose a danger to
employees, the surrounding community and the environment,”
said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s Regional Administrator for
the Pacific Southwest. “EPA is committed to enforcing the
federal laws that require all companies to properly store and
handle their hazardous wastes.”
TMW Corporation generated multiple hazardous
wastes including, paint wastes, alkaline and acidic corrosive
liquids, and sludges containing heavy metals such as chromium and
lead. These hazardous wastes, and the waste handling violations
associated with them, are typical of those produced by metal
plating shops, which are often the target of EPA enforcement
actions.
The federal hazardous waste regulations
require companies to properly manage hazardous waste to prevent
harm to human health and the environment. EPA discovered the
following violations at TMW Corporation’s
facility:
hazardous waste for over 90 days without a permit
· Failure to
conduct required inspections
· Failure to
train personnel or maintain training records
· Failure to
maintain required emergency communications equipment
· Failure to
make a hazardous waste determination
As a result of this enforcement action, TMW
Corporation has returned to compliance with federal law and will
pay a fine of $100,000.
EPA's hazardous waste rules require
facilities to properly store, label and close hazardous waste
containers. Facilities must also have properly trained staff, as
improperly stored hazardous waste can spill and pose a risk to
workers and the environment.
Federal, state and local regulatory agencies
have formed a Los Angeles Enforcement Collaborative to focus
resources over a multi-year effort to ensure that businesses and
industries in this area are complying with environmental laws. U.S.
EPA is joining forces with several state and local agencies under
this collaborative including Cal/EPA, the California Department of
Toxic Substances Control, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality
Control Board, and the California Air Resources Board as well as
local non-profit organizations to improve environmental and public
health conditions in Los Angeles communities.
EPA will continue to devote resources to
conducting inspections of generators of hazardous waste and
pursuing appropriate enforcement. For more information on U.S.
EPA’s hazardous waste program visit:
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