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EPA reaches settlement with Saipan company to protect soil, ocean ecosystems / Construction and Material Supply, Inc. to pay over $33,000 for used oil issues

Release Date: 03/02/2009
Contact Information: Dean Higuchi, 808-541-2711, [email protected]

(03/02/09) HONOLULU – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a $33,618 settlement with Construction and Material Supply, Inc. for alleged used oil management violations at its facility in Gualo Rai, Saipan.

“I am concerned that the EPA has uncovered a number of used oil violations in Saipan,” said Jeff Scott, director of the Waste Programs for the EPA Pacific Southwest Region. “Corroded and leaking containers lead to used oil spills that can contaminate soil and poison ocean ecosystems. EPA will continue to take vigorous enforcement actions against facilities that mismanage waste and threaten our environment.”

Inspectors from the EPA and the CNMI Division of Environmental Quality discovered the used oil issues during a routine inspection and found the company generates and stores used oil in connection with its maintenance activities. The company allegedly failed to:

* store used oil in proper containers to prevent spills,
* properly mark or label containers of used oil,
* respond to a release of used oil,
* have a certified spill response plan and,
* store used oil in compliance with spill prevention rules.

The company is a construction supply company engaged in quarry operations, concrete production and general construction. It also owns a hardware store and provides equipment rental, repair and maintenance services and has since corrected the issues found in the inspection.

The EPA’s used oil and used battery rules require facilities to properly store wastes, and label and manage waste containers. Facilities must also take care to properly train employees to manage waste and to manage their used oil, as improperly stored used oil can potentially spill and pose a risk to workers and the environment.

Companies must label all containers and tanks as use oil and the containers and tanks must be in good condition. The tanks and containers should not be allowed to rust, leak, or deteriorate, and any defects must be fixed immediately. Companies should never store used oil in anything other than tanks and storage containers in good condition.

For information about EPA's used oil requirements, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/materials/usedoil/usedoil.htm

For more info on CNMI DEQ's used oil program, please visit: http://www.deq.gov.mp/article.aspx?secID=7&artID=67

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