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U.S. Army Settles EPA Complaint at Letterkenny Depot

Release Date: 4/4/2001
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – The U.S. Army will pay a $4,921 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at the Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.

EPA cited the Army for allegedly violating federal rules on short-term storage of hazardous waste. EPA’s administrative complaint alleged that the Army failed to minimize the release of cadmium hazardous waste paint blast grit. EPA also cited the Army for allegedly failing to inspect two solvent waste storage areas on a number of occasions. These alleged violations were discovered in a July 1999 EPA inspection of the depot.

EPA originally sought a $162,030 penalty, but has agreed to a reduced settlement because of the Army’s compliance efforts, a supplemental environmental project, and newly discovered reports documenting 13 of the 19 weekly inspections that were cited as missing in the complaint.

The Army’s supplemental environmental project exceeds current environmental requirements. It has installed a $95,000 dust collection system that will reduce releases from the facility’s painting operations, such as the alleged violation cited in EPA's complaint concerning the cadmium release.

In the settlement papers, the Army neither admitted nor denied liability for the violations alleged in EPA’s complaint. However, the Army has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable federal hazardous waste regulations - - under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act - - at the Letterkenny Depot.