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Johnson Controls Battery Group to Pay $22,297 To Settle Hazardous Waste Violations

Release Date: 4/16/2001
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

Bonnie Smith, (215) 814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – Johnson Controls Battery Group, Inc. will pay a $22,297 to settle an EPA complaint over violations of federal and state hazardous waste laws at its Middletown, Del. facility.

In a September 2000 complaint, EPA cited Johnson Controls for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to prevent costly cleanups of waste sites by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous wastes.

According to the complaint, a joint inspection by EPA and Delaware Department of Natural Resources (DNREC) in August 1999 documented violations of RCRA’s hazardous waste storage regulations. Alleged violations included open containers of hazardous wastes such as lead, hydrobromic acid, and spent mercury-containing fluorescent lamps; and inadequate aisle space in the hazardous waste storage area for access by emergency response personnel.

As part of the settlement, the company neither admitted nor denied liability for the violations alleged in the complaint. However, the company has agreed to review and certify its compliance with applicable RCRA regulations within 30 days.