Emerald Transformer Los Angeles LLC (Formerly Clean Harbors Los Angeles)
Facility Description
Emerald Transformer Los Angeles, LLC (Emerald Transformer) is a commercial hazardous waste treatment, storage, and transfer facility located approximately two miles south of Downtown Los Angeles in the industrial city of Vernon, California, at the intersection of East Slauson Avenue and South Alameda Street. Emerald Transformer accepts polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) waste as well as non-PCB hazardous wastes which are generated offsite.
EPA's Role
EPA regulates the handling of PCB waste at the Emerald Transformer facility under a Toxic Substances Control Act Enables EPA to track the 75,000 industrial chemicals currently produced or imported into the U.S. EPA repeatedly screens these chemicals and can require reporting or testing of those that may pose an environmental or human-health hazard. EPA can ban the manufacture and import of those chemicals that pose an unreasonable risk. (TSCA) permit. The State of California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, authorized under federal law, regulates the handling of hazardous waste under a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste permit.
On October 24, 2013, EPA issued a permit to allow Emerald Transformer to continue storing PCB waste. That permit will be valid for 10 years. EPA also regularly conducts inspections of the facility to ensure that the existing permit conditions are being followed. Such inspections are unannounced and include random wipe sampling to check for residues and evidence of chemical releases.
EPA has concluded, based on a thorough review of the permit application, that Emerald Transformer satisfies the TSCA requirements for storage of PCBs. EPA has also concluded that PCB operations at the Facility do not pose an unreasonable risk of injury to human health or the environment.