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Calif. steel manufacturer agrees to donate equipment to settle hazardous waste violations

Release Date: 01/30/2006
Contact Information: Francisco Arcaute, (213) 244-1815

Company agrees to pay $11,150 fine, donate $41,813 in equipment to local fire department

LOS ANGELES – Under a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violating federal hazardous waste regulations at its plants in Rancho Cucamonga and Richmond, Calif., steel manufacturer Steelscape, Inc., will pay an $11,150 fine and donate $41,813 in emergency response equipment to the San Bernardino County Fire Department

In October 2004, the EPA inspected the Rancho Cucamonga facility, and in April 2005, the Richmond facility. Based upon those inspections, the EPA alleges that Steelscape committed the following violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act:

- Storing hazardous waste without a permit;
- Failure to maintain adequate aisle space;
- Failure to close containers of hazardous waste;
- Failure to maintain an adequate training program;
- Failure to maintain a contingency plan.

"This settlement sends a strong message to the regulated community and provides a benefit to the citizens of San Bernardino County,” said Jeff Scott, director of the EPA’s Waste Management Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "We are pleased that the facility has agreed to provide San Bernardino County funding to improve their emergency response capabilities. Steelscape is setting an excellent example by turning a negative situation into a positive one .”

Steelscape has since rectified the violations.

At the Rancho Cucamonga facility, Steelscape produces cold-rolled, metallic-coated, and painted steel coils for the construction market in the United States and Canada. At the Richmond facility, Steelscape paints steel for the construction industry, using large coils of steel sheeting.
Firms that handle hazardous waste must engage in proper waste handling and storage programs to prevent spills and safeguard worker health. The EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act oversees how to safely manage and dispose of solid and hazardous waste generated nationwide.


For more information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program, please visit:https://www.epa.gov/compliance/basics/cleanup.html#rcra