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Pharmaceutical Chemical Manufacturer in Coventry, RI Faces Fines for Violating Hazardous Waste Laws

Release Date: 10/11/2011
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, 617-918-1027

(Boston—October 11, 2011) Rhodes Technologies Inc. of Coventry, Rhode Island, is facing fines for alleged violations of federal and federally-authorized state hazardous waste regulations at its pharmaceutical chemical manufacturing facility.  Most of the violations involve the facility’s eight hazardous waste storage tanks.

In a complaint stemming from a September 2009 inspection, EPA alleges that Rhodes Technologies violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and its implementing regulations by failing to obtain required tank integrity assessments or provide secondary containment for seven of its hazardous waste tanks; failing to label pipes and other equipment associated with the tanks as being in hazardous waste service; and failing to perform required compliance inspections.  These violations created a serious potential risk to human health and the environment in the event that any of the tanks accidently released hazardous wastes.

Rhodes also failed to properly determine whether certain wastes were hazardous, failed to have a complete emergency response plan, and failed to segregate incompatible hazardous wastes.  The complaint proposes a total penalty of $251,439 for Rhodes’s violations. 

Rhodes Technologies manufactures chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry. These manufacturing operations generate large amounts of hazardous wastes such as isopropyl alcohol and heptane, which are both highly flammable.

More information: EPA’s hazardous waste requirements [epa.gov/region1/enforcement/waste/index.html ]

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