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EPA Seeks $28,000 Penalty from NY Hazardous Waste Transporter

Release Date: 08/06/2003
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(#03092) New York, N.Y. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today it is seeking a penalty of $28,820 from a transport company for allegedly violating environmental laws regulating the transport and export of hazardous wastes from the United States to Canada. EPA’s complaint claims that Frank’s Vacuum Truck Services Inc. of Niagara Falls, New York, violated the Uniform Hazardous Waste Manifest regulations of the federal Resource and Conservation Recovery Act on numerous occasions while transporting hazardous wastes from the United States into Canada. “Following manifest regulations ensures that dangerous wastes are properly handled and accounted for throughout the whole process of disposal,” said William Muszynski, EPA Region 2 Deputy Regional Administrator. “EPA takes violations of these regulations seriously and will continue to take enforcement actions against those who fail to fulfill their responsibilities.” The regulations regarding hazardous waste manifests are intended to track the movement of these wastes from generators to disposal sites, and to create clear lines of accountability among all participants to ensure that these wastes are properly managed during transportation. According to EPA’s complaint, Frank’s Vacuum Services Inc. failed to properly indicate on several manifests its acknowledgment of receipt of hazardous waste shipments from the generator prior to transport, and failed to properly complete124 manifests when leaving the jurisdiction of the United States and entering Canada at the U.S./Canadian border. EPA randomly reviews manifests from transboundary shippers to determine if violations exist.