All News Releases By Date

FMC Settles Hazardous Waste Violations in Baltimore

Release Date: 10/12/2004
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, (215)814-5543

Bonnie Smith, (215)814-5543

PHILADELPHIA – FMC Corporation has agreed to pay a $26,500 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its manufacturing facility at 1701 E. Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The FMC plant manufactures pesticides, herbicides and intermediate chemicals.

EPA cited the Philadelphia-based company 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 disposal of hazardous waste.

The alleged violations, which were documented in April 2003 inspections by EPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), involved the storage of ignitable and/or corrosive hazardous wastes (including sulfentrazone step 5/6 waste, spent caustic scrubber solution, and bifenthrin waste). The alleged violations included:

* storage of four containers of hazardous waste without required labeling;

* storage of two 55-gallon drums and one 4,000-gallon isotainer of hazardous waste without required dating of the storage period;
*inadequate secondary containment of the 4,000-gallon isotainer, as required to contain potential hazardous waste leaks; and,
*a crack on a hazardous waste storage pad, which also did not have required warning signs.