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POLLUTER TO PAY $50,000 FOR SUPERFUND EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Release Date: 6/12/1998
Contact Information: Randy Wittorp, U.S. EPA, (415) 744-1589

     San Francisco -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Youssef Mikhail-Fard, the former owner and operator of an electroplating facility, has agreed to pay $50,000 to cover costs associated with a Superfund cleanup of hazardous substances found at Mission Plating Co. in Los Angeles, Calif.

     "If companies choose to walk way from their hazardous wastes, they can also expect to meet EPA at the courthouse steps," said Keith Takata, U.S. EPA regional Superfund director.  "Anyone handling hazardous materials must take steps to protect the environment from those chemicals.  EPA is here to make sure that they do."

     Mission Plating was located near a church, restaurants and other businesses.  Cyanides, acids, cadmium, chromium and zinc were among 3600 gallons of liquid waste and 28,000 pounds of solid waste removed from the site.

     On September 17, 1991, the Los Angeles Department of Health Services issued Fard a notice of violation, directing him to clean up hazardous substances inside and outside the facility.  The Los Angeles Fire Department similarly sent Fard orders from December 1992 through August 1993 directing him to remove the substances.

     U.S. EPA then issued a cleanup order to Fard, and when he failed to remove all of the chemicals, EPA completed the cleanup to protect the public from the remaining hazardous waste.

     The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of EPA, filed a lawsuit on March 20, 1997 to seek recovery of cleanup costs as well as punitive damages for Fard's failure to clean up the site. After Fard plead financial hardship, a negotiated settlement of $50,000 was agreed upon. The lawsuit was brought under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, also known as Superfund.