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Maine Semiconductor Plant Fined for Hazardous Waste Violations

Release Date: 04/02/2001
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, EPA New England Press Office (617-918-1013) Leo Kay, EPA California Press Office (415-744-2201)

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced the filing of an administrative complaint against National Semiconductor Corp. for violating federal and state hazardous waste regulations at its manufacturing plant in South Portland, Maine. EPA is seeking proposed penalties totaling $302,990.

National Semiconductor is based in Santa Clara, Calif. Its South Portland plant manufactures semiconductor chips. The company's manufacturing process generates a significant amount of hazardous waste including waste solvents, waste acids, and metal contaminated wipers.

The complaint stems from an EPA inspection in Aug. 1999. During the inspection, EPA found numerous violations of hazardous waste regulations such as: inadequate training of employees who handle hazardous waste; failure to have a written assessment of a hazardous waste tank system; failure to adequately inspect a hazardous waste tank before it was put into service; failure to have adequate secondary containment on a single hazardous waste tank; failure to label hazardous waste containers properly; failure to maintain adequate aisle space at a hazardous waste storage area; and failure to have a complete hazardous waste contingency plan to be used in the event of a hazardous waste spill.

"National Semiconductor is a big business that uses a large amount of harmful chemicals and other materials. Our hazardous waste regulations were created to properly monitor dangerous chemical and prevent spills," said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator of EPA New England. "In order for it to work, it is important businesses comply with all of the regulations. When companies fail to do this they are potentially putting people – their employees and neighbors – at risk."

The complaint requires National Semiconductor to:

• Provide hazardous waste training to all employees who have hazardous waste management responsibility.
  
• Develop an employee training plan that meets EPA's Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements.
  
• Conduct daily inspections of all hazardous waste containers and record the inspections in a log book.
  
• Make sure aisle space between hazardous waste containers is wide enough to allow for inspection and passage of emergency equipment.
  
• Maintain a complete hazardous waste contingency plan.