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EPA fines hazardous waste company on Arizona tribal lands $67,888

Release Date: 8/17/2005
Contact Information: Wendy Chavez, (415) 947-4248

Company to spend additional $100,800 on equipment for community

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today fined Romic Environmental Technologies $67,888 for multiple hazardous waste violations at its facility on the Gila River Indian Reservation in the Lone Butte Industrial Park in Chandler, Ariz.

The company corrected the violations and will also spend $100,800 on life-saving equipment for the Gila River Indian Community Fire Department and air monitoring and meteorological equipment for the Gila River Indian Community Department of Environmental Quality.

"Proper waste management is critical, and the EPA is committed to ensure that companies handling hazardous waste comply with the law," said Jeff Scott, the EPA's Waste Management Division director for the Pacific Southwest region.

During joint EPA and Gila River Indian Community inspections in February 2002, August 2002 and April 2003, inspectors discovered that Romic:

* failed to properly operate, inspect, monitor and maintain records for the air emission control device, the closed-vent system and the hazardous waste storage tanks;
* failed to properly mark, monitor, inspect, calibrate and maintain records for equipment that contains or contacts hazardous waste;
* stored ignitable wastes less than 50 feet from the property line and stored incompatible wastes next to each other;
* failed to store hazardous waste in containers in good condition, and label and close hazardous waste containers;
* failed to properly label waste fluorescent lamp tubes;
* failed to determine if a container held hazardous waste;
* failed to submit a revised application notifying the EPA of facility changes; and
* failed to conduct inspections and maintain complete inspection logs.

The Romic facility is a hazardous waste storage and treatment facility, primarily recycling solvents. Romic performs solvent recycling, blending, aerosol can processing, bulking, container crushing, and waste consolidation for off-site disposal.
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