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U.S. EPA orders Rancho Cucamonga chemical products firm to remove hazardous waste

Release Date: 04/16/2008
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute Ph (213) 244-1815, cell (213) 798-1404 [email protected]

LOS ANGELES – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered U.S. Colloidal Essence, Inc., Scott Kim, and Walton CWCA Golden West 70, LLC to remove hazardous substances pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act from a chemical products company in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Located at 9330 7th Avenue, Suite A, U.S. Colloidal Essence, Inc., produces chemical products used in personal care products, cleaners and degreasers. U.S. Colloidal Essence and Mr. Kim leased space in the industrial park from Walton CWCA Golden West 70.

“Companies that use hazardous chemicals are required to properly store and dispose of those materials,” said Craig Benson, Federal On Scene Coordinator, EPA Pacific Southwest region. “If the responsible parties cannot undertake a facility clean up, the EPA will perform the work and bill the responsible parties for costs.”

According to a March 2008 EPA inspection, U.S. Colloidal Essence, Inc., had onsite a large quantity of liquid and solid hazardous substances including caustic, acidic, and flammable materials stored in approximately one hundred 55-gallon drums, large quantities of reagent chemicals, and two dozen process tanks ranging in size from 250 gallons to 4,000 gallons, some of which also containing with hazardous substances. The materials were stored in proximity with a risk of hazardous reactions among them.

Caustic, acidic and flammable chemicals can cause severe flesh wounds, or may present a fire or explosion risk.

The parties named in the order must comply with EPA mandates, including the identification and removal of all hazardous substances at the facility to mitigate the risk of public exposure, fire or explosion.

The EPA will meet with the parties on April 17, 2008, to establish a deadline to conduct the response. Failing to meet that deadline, the EPA will conduct the cleanup; any costs incurred will be charged back to the responsible parties.

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, known as Superfund, was enacted to address abandoned hazardous waste sites in the U.S.

For more information, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/superfund/index.htm