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EPA Fines Phoenix Company for Toxic Chemical Release Reporting Violations

Release Date: 5/20/2003
Contact Information: Wendy L. Chavez, (415) 947-4248

     SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently fined a Phoenix company $33,817 for failing to report the amount of toxic chemicals it was processing at its facility, a violation of the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.

International Technical Coatings, Inc., located at 110 S. 41st Ave., failed to submit timely, complete and correct reports regarding the amount of copper and nickel processed at its plant. The company processed 252,240 pounds of copper and 264,852 pounds of nickel -- more than ten times the threshold quantity -- during the 1999 calendar year.

The facility processes copper and nickel in connection with its manufacture of wire products. Copper is considered toxic and nickel is considered carcinogenic.

EPA inspectors discovered the violations during a routine inspection in mid-2001.

"Facilities that use, store and release hazardous chemicals owe it to the neighboring community and their employees to inform the EPA and the state of their chemical releases and transfers," said Enrique Manzanilla, the EPA's Cross Media Division director for the Pacific Southwest. "This penalty should remind others that we are maintaining a close watch over chemical reporting practices and are serious about enforcing community right-to-know laws."

Federal law requires certain facilities using chemicals over certain amounts to file annual reports of chemical releases with the EPA and the state. The reports estimate the amounts of each toxic chemical released to the environment, treated or recycled on-site, or transferred off-site for waste management. Information is then compiled into a national database and made available to the public.

Each year the EPA publishes a report entitled the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) Public Data Release, which summarizes the prior years submissions and provides detailed trend analysis of toxic chemical releases.

For more information on the program, call (800) 424-9346 or visit: https://www.epa.gov/opptinitr/tri. The U.S. EPA’s environmental databases, including TRI data, can be accessed at: https://www.epa.gov/enviro.