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EPA Settles with Connecticut Company in Hazardous Waste Management Case

Release Date: 05/07/2002
Contact Information: Mark Merchant (617) 918-1013

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it reached a settlement with a Bethel, Conn. company in a case involving violations of numerous federal and state hazardous waste management laws.

Under the terms of this consent agreement and order, the Vanderbilt Chemical Corp. will pay a penalty of $99,995. In addition, the company will perform a supplemental environmental project (SEP) to prevent possible pollution in the future.

The SEP will cost an estimated $10,000. It involves creating a comprehensive pollution prevention program to evaluate ways to reduce the use of hazardous substances and hazardous wastes at Vanderbilt's facility.

Vanderbilt manufactures oil additives and specialty chemicals for the rubber and plastics industry. It is located at 31 Taylor Ave. on a 100-acre parcel that contains wetlands and is surrounded by industrial, commercial and residential properties.

EPA inspectors visited Vanderbilt in August 1999 and found more than 3,000 containers with unknown contents. About half of these containers were later determined by the company to contain hazardous waste.

The inspection led to an EPA complaint against the company filed in October 2000. The complaint alleged that Vanderbilt failed to properly identify, label and store its hazardous waste. In addition, the company failed to properly train its employees handling hazardous waste, maintain an adequate contingency plan and keep required hazardous waste records.

"Companies that deal with hazardous waste need to ensure that it is managed safely, as required by law. Vanderbilt's failure to do this had the potential to put the public and environment at risk," said Robert W. Varney, the regional administrator of EPA's New England office.

For the SEP, Vanderbilt will employ a qualified third-party environmental consultant and follow the recommendations of the consultant to reduce the use of hazardous substances – and as a result, reduce the amount of hazardous waste produced – at their facility.

"The supplemental environmental project that Vanderbilt has agreed to undertake will secure significant environmental and public health protection and improvements," Varney said. "It is a good example of environmental stewardship."

For more information, visit these Web sites:
https://www.epa.gov/region1/topics/cleanup/rcra.html
https://www.epa.gov/region1/assistance/emerplan/software.html
https://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/index.htm