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EPA Proposes Penalty for Environmental Violations at UMass-Amherst

Release Date: 10/16/2001
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, EPA Press Office (617) 918-1013

BOSTON – As part of a focused effort to bring New England colleges and universities into compliance with federal environmental laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed a monetary penalty of up to $262,700 against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst for violating the federal Clean Air Act.

UMass operates a variety of devices that emit air pollutants, including solvent degreasers, boilers, an automobile painting booth and a gasoline station.

An EPA inspection in May 2000 revealed that, among other violations, UMass:

• did not have a properly operating vapor recovery and control system at its gas station, thus allowing smog-causing chemicals into the air.
• did not keep records of gasoline storage tank maintenance, malfunctions and repairs.
• did not keep adequate records of its degreasing operations.
• used automobile paints with excess levels of smog-forming solvents.

EPA New England launched a college and university initiative in March 1999 in an effort to improve environmental compliance at college campuses. The program was initiated after EPA inspectors noticed generally poor compliance during their visits to universities, which typically have large numbers of laboratories and other operations which handle a wide array of pollutants.

"EPA has made an all-out effort to help UMass meet its environmental responsibilities," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA's New England office. "This proposed penalty is part of a focused effort by EPA's New England office to improve environmental compliance not just at UMass, but at colleges and universities throughout the region."

In launching the effort, EPA sent warning letters to the presidents of all 282 colleges and universities in New England, including the president at UMass. The letter outlined the agency's overall initiative, including a heightened enforcement presence at college campuses and extensive compliance assistance specifically geared for universities.

EPA New England has conducted or participated in more than a dozen workshops and conferences to help universities come into compliance in the past two years. An additional workshop is planned for Oct. 23 in Waterville, Maine. The agency has also created a university compliance web page, which can be visited at www.epa.gov/region01/assistance/univ/

EPA is encouraging universities to conduct voluntary environmental audits. Those that voluntarily discover, disclose and quickly correct violations of environmental laws may see the penalties substantially reduced or even eliminated as a result, Varney said.