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U.S. EPA settles hazardous waste case with Sparks electroplating facility

Release Date: 8/8/2005
Contact Information: Lisa Fasano (415) 947-4307

     SAN FRANCISCO   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today fined Greg Street Plating $10,000 for violating federal hazardous waste handling laws at the Sparks, Nev. facility.
 
     The EPA and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection discovered the violations during a joint inspection of the facility located at 750 Greg Street in April 2003.  
   
      "Companies that handle hazardous wastes need to manage them properly not only to protect the  environment, but to ensure public safety," said Jeff Scott, director of the Waste Management Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "The EPA will continue to strictly enforce all regulations governing facilities that generate and manage hazardous waste."

     The EPA and NDEP inspectors observed numerous violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which governs hazardous waste handling, storage and disposal.  Inspectors found waste containers that were left open, leaking and had been illegally stored on site for more than 90 days.
       
     "To ensure a level playing field for companies that follow the law, the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection worked with the U.S. EPA to bring Greg Street Plating into compliance," NDEP's Waste Management Bureau Chief Doug Zimmerman said.

The EPA and NDEP inspectors found that Greg Street Plating failed to:

    * obtain a permit or interim status for storage of hazardous waste;
    * identify its hazardous waste;
    * conduct annual refresher training and maintain proper personnel training records;
      transfer hazardous waste to a container in good condition; and
    * close containers of hazardous waste.

     Greg Street Plating will settle the case by paying the fine, correcting the violations and submitting semi-annual hazardous waste reports to both the EPA and to the NDEP for two years.

     Greg Street Plating conducts zinc plating onto carbon steel, and coating and cleaning of carbon steel.  The company  generates several hazardous waste types, including rinse waters containing chromium from zinc plating and wastewater treatment sludge from zinc plating.  The facility has been operating since 1997.

     The EPA's hazardous waste rules require all generators of hazardous waste to manage and dispose of waste at permitted facilities. For more information visit: https://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/permit/index.htm

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