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Anchor Glass Container Corporation Agrees to Pay $43,400 Penalty for Violating PCB Rules at Plants in New Jersey and New York

Release Date: 11/19/2001
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(01134) NEW YORK, N.Y. — The Anchor Glass Container Corporation has agreed to pay $43,400 for violations of Toxic Substances Control Act provisions regarding proper use, marking and record keeping requirements for electrical equipment and waste storage areas that contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at its facilities in Salem and Cliffwood, New Jersey and Elmira, New York. The violations were uncovered by EPA inspectors in July and October 2000 at the New Jersey facilities, and last April at the New York plant. EPA fined the corporation for failing to move combustible materials a safe distance from electrical devices containing PCBs and properly identify a PCB waste storage area at the Salem plant. The corporation was also fined for not properly marking the means of access to transformers containing PCBs at all three of the inspected facilities. These violations were promptly corrected by Anchor Glass. EPA also fined the corporation for failing to keep complete annual records regarding the use, storage and/or disposal of PCB equipment at their Cliffwood and Elmira plants, and for not keeping complete records of inspections and maintenance of a PCB transformer at the Cliffwood facility. "EPA’s strict enforcement of federal regulations aimed at safeguarding the public, workers and emergency response personnel from exposure to PCBs through spills and other accidents continues to be an Agency priority," said EPA Acting Regional Administrator William J. Muszynski. Under the terms of the settlement, the corporation agreed to correct their record keeping practices in the future, and to otherwise comply with all the provisions of the Toxic Substances Control Act that govern the use, storage and disposal of PCB items and PCB waste.