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DOVER, N.H., HAZARDOUS WASTE TRANSPORTER FINED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS

Release Date: 03/02/1999
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042)

BOSTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a $38,445 fine against a Dover, N.H., hazardous waste transporter that was charged with violating federal rules on the storage and disposal of PCBs, which are toxic substances.

Jet-Line Environmental Services, which transports and cleans hazardous waste, also paid a $7,095 fine a year ago to settle an EPA complaint alleging similar violations at its Dover facility.

According to EPA's recent administrative complaint, Jet-Line failed to dispose of certain PCB-contaminated wastes within a year of receiving the waste, failed to maintain records documenting the contents of large containers of liquid PCBs and failed to fully complete a shipping label accompanying the shipment of some PCB-contaminated sludge.

EPA also charged Jet-Line with failing to properly document clean-up of a spill of PCB-contaminated oil under a storage container at its facility. The complaint says Jet-Line's conduct violated the Federal Toxic Substances Control Act and its regulations governing use and disposal of PCBs.

"Jet-Line's record of compliance with PCB regulations has been lacking," said John P. DeVillars, EPA's New England Administrator. "EPA will not tolerate repeated violations of rules on proper handling of toxic wastes."

EPA learned of the violation after an employee at the N.H. Department of Environmental Services inspected the facility in June 1998. After two follow-up inspections showed continued violations, EPA in December gave Jet-Line advance warning it would take an enforcement action.

Jet-Line also has an operation in Stoughton, Mass., which responds to spills and other service calls, but does not store PCBs.

EPA regulations require that PCBs above certain concentrations be disposed of within one year of the date they are placed in storage. Shipping documents that specify the date the PCBs were first stored are required, so authorities can determine whether waste was, in fact, disposed of within the one-year period.

The regulations also require that storage facilities maintain certain records, such as the quantities of batches of liquid waste added or removed from large storage containers. EPA's rules also describe appropriate procedures to clean up spills of PCB wastes.

In the 1998 case, EPA contended Jet-Line had failed to dispose of PCBs within a year of the date wastes were placed in storage.

PCBs are no longer manufactured, but are still in use as non-conductive, fire-resistant additives to coolant liquids in heavy electrical equipment. These compounds are persistent in the environment and suspected carcinogens. Exposure to PCBs can cause liver problems and skin rashes.