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U.S. Army Research Facility Agrees to Pay Penalty for Hazardous Waste Violations

Release Date: 05/28/2009
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, (617) 918-1027

(Boston, Mass. – May 28, 2009) – The U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory in Hanover, N.H. will pay $89,500 for violations of federal and state hazardous waste management laws.

Following an EPA inspection in 2007, EPA alleged that the facility failed to determine whether numerous containers held hazardous wastes and failed to properly label hazardous wastes containers. Additionally, EPA alleged that the facility accumulated hazardous waste in an area with a floor drain without taking measures to prevent a leak or spill. The facility is currently in compliance with these RCRA requirements.

Hazardous waste generators must fully evaluate and disclose their waste streams so that proper decisions can be made on how to handle such materials. Conducting hazardous waste determinations and properly labeling containers allows facilities and regulators to safely handle the chemical wastes that are generated, used and stored within a particular facility.

The Cold Regions Laboratory conducts research on the impacts of human activity on the environment in cold regions, as well as the cold effects on construction operations and the maintenance of facilities. Additionally, the facility performs cold-related problem solving for materials used in cold environments and researches the nature and characteristics of snow, ice, frozen ground, and other materials. The facility generates laboratory chemical wastes through these processes.

Federal and state hazardous waste storage and treatment requirements are part of the hazardous waste management laws. These laws govern the generation, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes and provide EPA with authority for conducting compliance monitoring and enforcement activities.

More Information: EPA enforcement of RCRA & Hazardous Waste in New England (www.epa.gov/region1/enforcement/waste/index.html)

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