U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) have reached an agreement with WCI Steel Inc. on measures to protect migratory birds and other wildlife from oily waste found in impoundments on its property.
The company will also pay a $620,000 penalty through a related bankruptcy proceeding.
The consent decree resolves a 2002 order that required WCI to remove oily waste from 11 impoundments. The order was based in part on inspections by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the EPA. The inspectors found 34 dead birds and bats at the site.
WCI Steel is a manufacturer of custom flat-rolled steel products and occupies 1,100 acres in Ohio. The company recently reorganized under bankruptcy laws. Wildlife protection measures of the agreement include installing netting over two impoundments, implementing fire risk and oil management plans, removing sludge and adding to the existing wildlife deterrent system at the facility. WCI has completely removed eight of the 11 impoundments subject to the original 2002 order.
