All News Releases By Date

Maine Turnpike Authority Settles with EPA Over Hazardous Materials Violations

Release Date: 07/24/2002
Contact Information: Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office, 617-918-1008

BOSTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a proposed settlement of an enforcement case with the Maine Turnpike Authority over violations of federal and state rules governing hazardous waste and oil spill prevention plans.

In addition to paying a $100,000 civil penalty, the proposed settlement calls for the turnpike authority to spend $184,000 for the purchase of equipment for a new emergency hazardous materials spills response team in southern Maine.

"The Maine Turnpike Authority has already corrected all the violations EPA inspectors discovered," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "This action, coupled with their agreement to equip a new HAZMAT team for southern Maine, really underscores the agency's commitment to proper hazardous waste handling and controls."

The Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is creating and organizing an emergency hazardous materials spills response team that will be located in southern Maine along the Maine Turnpike corridor. The turnpike authority will purchase the equipment needed for the newly formed team.

The settlement stems from EPA inspections in July 2000 at Maine Turnpike maintenance facilities in Gardiner, Litchfield, Gray, Kennebunk and Crosby. The inspectors found that the MTA violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the federal Clean Water Act.

The RCRA violations included:

• failure to conduct daily hazardous waste inspections;
• storage of hazardous wastes over 90 days without a license;
• not providing hazardous waste training;
• not maintaining a hazardous waste training plan;
• not having contingency plans;
• not having emergency equipment available in hazardous waste storage areas;
• not making hazardous waste determinations;
• storing wastes in inadequate containers;
• failure to properly label hazardous waste containers;
• failure to mark hazardous waste containers with the dates the wastes were collected;
• and transporting hazardous wastes without a license.