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Jamestown, Pa. Facility Settles Hazardous Waste Violations

Release Date: 01/27/2010
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / [email protected]

PHILADELHIA (January 27, 2010) -- Combined Systems, Inc., headquartered in Great Neck, N.Y., has agreed to pay a $65,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of federal and state hazardous waste regulations at its Jamestown, Pa., facility, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

The alleged violations involve storage and recordkeeping violations. The settlement penalty reflects the company’s efforts to comply and its cooperation with EPA in the investigation and resolution of this matter.

EPA cited Combined Systems, Inc. for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment, and avoid costly cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following a June 2007 inspection by EPA, the company was cited for RCRA violations that occurred between October 2004 and June 2007 involving hazardous waste stored at the facility, including: operating a hazardous waste storage facility without a permit, failure to keep containers of hazardous waste closed during storage, failure to conduct weekly inspections of central hazardous waste accumulation areas; failure to train employees responsible for hazardous waste management; failure to document hazardous waste management training program; failure to keep records of weekly storage facility inspections; failure to provide a containment system for hazardous waste storage areas; failure to properly manifest off-site shipments of hazardous waste; offering hazardous waste to unpermitted treatment, storage or disposal facilities; and failure to offer universal waste only to another universal waste handler.

As part of the settlement, Combined Systems has neither admitted nor denied liability for the alleged violations, but implemented measures to improve its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements soon after EPA’s 2007 inspection.