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CASMALIA RESOURCES UPDATE: UNILATERAL ORDERS

Release Date: 2/2/1996
Contact Information: Lois Grunwald, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1588

 (San Francisco) -- The U.S. EPA has collected $384,000 from six of the 12 companies that were issued orders to transport, treat, and dispose of some contaminated liquids from the Casmalia Resources Hazardous Waste Management facility. The companies settled with U.S. EPA by making the payments.

     The six companies are: Calwest Galvanizing Co., Long Beach, Calif. $51,000; Continental Airlines, Houston, Texas, $89,500; Gillette Co., Boston, Mass., $15,500; Operating Industries Inc., Vienna, Va., 81,000; Precision Specialty Metals Inc., Los Angeles, $60,000; and U.S. Pipe and Foundry Co., Union City, Calif., $87,000.  

     Crosby & Overton, Long Beach, Calif., has not complied with the order and U.S. EPA is considering further enforcement action against the firm. Haz/control, Gilroy, Calif., and Davis Wire Corp., Irwindale, Calif., claimed bankruptcy as a defense to the enforcement action, and U.S. EPA will evaluate whether these companies' bankruptcy defense prevents future actions against
them. Three other firms are defunct. They are: KMS Inc., Oakland, Calif.; Safety Specialist Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.; and American Environmental Management, Rancho Cordova, Calif.  

     The orders were issued to the firms because they are potentially liable for waste they had sent to the Casmalia Resources facility, but they chose not to be part of a group of 50 companies that are negotiating with U.S. EPA to settle their liability at the site.

     The payments from the six companies can be used to pay for most of the cost of the next shipment, treatment and disposal of contaminated liquids from a landfill containing pesticides and solvents at the Casmalia Resources site. This shipment has not yet been scheduled.
         
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