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University of District of Columbia Settles Complaint over Hazardous Waste Violations

Release Date: 5/30/2001
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have settled the Agency’s complaint over alleged hazardous waste storage violations at UDC’s Van Ness Campus at 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Under the terms of an administrative consent order, UDC will pay a $15,376 penalty and hire a contractor to evaluate the university’s compliance with federal and D.C. environmental regulations, and assess pollution prevention opportunities on campus.

EPA’s September 2000 complaint alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) – the principal federal statute regulating the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. The alleged violations include storing hazardous waste without a permit or interim storage, failing to perform hazardous waste determinations on solid wastes generated at the facility, having open containers of hazardous waste, failing to provide hazardous waste training to facility personnel, failing to designate an emergency coordinator, failing to file required annual reports on hazardous wastes from 1995 through 1999, and failing to respond in a complete and timely manner to EPA information requests.

UDC is required to hire an independent, qualified environmental consultant to complete a $40,000 environmental compliance and pollution prevention assessment. The university has agreed to report to EPA and promptly correct environmental violations uncovered by the assessment.

As part of the settlement, UDC neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violation.