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U.S. EPA, ADEQ SETTLE VIOLATIONS WITH TOLLESON COMPANY

Release Date: 9/5/1996
Contact Information: Lois Grunwald, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1588

   (San Francisco)--  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) today announced the signing of a consent agreement and consent order with World Resources Co., settling charges that the company violated hazardous waste regulations at its facility at 8113 West Sherman St., Tolleson, Ariz.  

     "This is an excellent example of state and federal cooperation to safeguard public health by working with a company to bring it into full compliance with hazardous waste regulations," said Julie Anderson, Waste Management Division director.  

     "By state and federal agencies working together it ensures consistent enforcement of the regulations and protects human health and the environment," said Russell Rhoades, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. "With this agreement, WRC will achieve full compliance with the regulations while continuing to recycle hazardous waste, which is a benefit to both the environment and the economy in Arizona."

     World Resources Co. dries and blends sludge containing metal-bearing hazardous wastes at its Tolleson facility. The sludge, a waste residue from electroplating companies, is then shipped by World Resources Co. to domestic and foreign smelters, which extract the metals.  

     The company violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations by storing and treating hazardous wastes without a permit; failing to manifest hazardous waste shipments; and, failing to notify U.S. EPA and ADEQ that it was exporting hazardous wastes. World Resources Co. has requested a variance from U.S. EPA on the requirement to manifest dried and blended sludges that are sent to domestic and foreign smelters, and to notify U.S.EPA and ADEQ of exports to foreign countries.  The variance determination is pending.  However, even if granted, the variance will not affect the requirement for a treatment and storage permit.

     The consent agreement and order requires World Resources to submit to ADEQ a hazardous waste treatment and storage permit application within 150 days, and to correct the remaining violations. According to the agreement, the company will operate under interim state regulations until a permit decision is made.


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