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News Releases from Region 03

Eden Wood Preserving, LLC to pay $50,000 penalty To settle hazardous waste violations at Fruitland, Md. facility

09/16/2020
Contact Information: 
EPA Region 3 Press Office (R3press@epa.gov)

PHILADELPHIA (September 16, 2020) – Eden Wood Preserving, LLC will pay a $50,000 penalty to settle alleged hazardous waste violations at its facility in Fruitland, Maryland, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today.

EPA cited Eden Wood 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 long and extensive cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following an EPA inspection, the company was cited for improper hazardous waste management methods and substandard wood preserving drip pad conditions, among other violations.

The wood preserving industry utilizes concrete pads, called “drip pads,” to catch excess wood preservative liquid that drips from treated wood to prevent its seepage into soil or groundwater.  The drip pad at this facility had been in operation since 1978. Due to failure to properly inspect and maintain the drip pad, the pad had deteriorated and possessed cracks and gaps, which might have allowed a wood preservative called Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) to enter below the pad surface or into the surrounding soil and groundwater.

CCA is a hazardous waste that must be managed in accordance with RCRA regulations, including specific requirements for drip pads. 

As part of the settlement, Eden Wood did not admit liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable RCRA requirements.

For more information about EPA’s hazardous waste program, visit https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/hw

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