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U.S. EPA puts eleven California companies, one Nevada company, on notice for violating toxics law

Release Date: 10/19/2004
Contact Information: Laura Gentile ([email protected]) - 415/947-4227 (desk) or 415/760-9161 (cell)

SAN FRANCISCO -- Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency warned eleven waste transportation companies in California and one in Reno, Nevada that they must notify the agency prior to transporting waste containing PCBs or pay a $1,650 fine.

The EPA issued warning notices to the companies for failing to notify the EPA that they were transporting waste containing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in violation of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act. The companies are listed at the end of this press release.

The EPA learned of the violations after the storage and waste disposal facilities receiving the PCB-laden waste notified the agency. In each case, the wastes were transported to PCB storage and landfill facilities in California, Arizona and Nevada.

"Waste transporters play a key role in ensuring that PCB waste found in everything from contaminated soil to old electrical equipment undergoes proper disposal," said Enrique Manzanilla, director of the cross media division for the EPA's Pacific Southwest region. "We are warning transporters that failure to meet the requirements may result in stronger enforcement action in the future."

The EPA requires that anyone transporting, storing or disposing of PCBs notify the agency in writing.

Today the EPA sent the notices to eleven companies in California and one in Nevada. The companies must comply within one month or possibly face a $1,650 fine.

More than 1.5 billion pounds of PCBs were manufactured in the United States before the EPA banned the chemicals in 1978. PCBs were commonly used in paints, industrial equipment, plastics and rubber products. The EPA banned the chemicals after tests showed that PCBs cause cancer in animals and adversely affect the human nervous, immune and endocrine systems.

Companies that transport, store or handle PCBs can check EPA's website to find information on how to comply with the agency?s notification requirement at www.epa.gov/pcb/data.html.

The EPA issued the notices to the following companies:

California:
Asbury Environmental Services - Compton
Environmental Services - Auburn
Haz Mat Services, Incorporated - Yorba Linda
Industrial Waste Utilization, Incorporated - Montclair
Janus Corporation - Concord
Karcher Environmental, Incorporated - Anaheim
NRC Environmental Services - Alameda
Photo Waste Recycling Company - San Rafael
PARC Specialty Contractors - Sacramento
Rust & Sons Trucking, Incorporated - El Cajon
World Environmental and Energy, Incorporated - West Sacramento

Nevada:
Universal Environmental - Reno