News Releases from Region 05

EPA Settles with Ohio-based Chemical Solvents, Inc.

Company improves air, water, waste handling at Cleveland facilities, pays $400,000 penalty

For Immediate Release No. 19-OPA064

CHICAGO (September 12, 2019) – Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an agreement with Chemical Solvents, Inc., resolving allegations that the company violated the Clean Air Act (CAA), Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and Clean Water Act (CWA) at the firm’s contiguous Jennings and Denison sites located in Cleveland, Ohio. Chemical Solvents conducts its commodity chemical business at the Jennings site, and its solvent reclamation and chemical blending operations at the Denison site.

Under the terms of the consent decree, Chemical Solvents will pay a $400,000 penalty and upgrade control devices and monitoring equipment, implement a leak detection and repair program for waste and product tanks, and close a wastewater sump. The firm will also install a new sewer lateral, hire a professional engineer to complete a piping audit, submit a compliance plan based on the wastewater sampling results, and update its stormwater pollution prevention plan.

“This settlement brings Chemical Solvents into compliance with the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Clean Water Act at their Jennings and Denison facilities,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Cathy Stepp. “By making needed changes at these facilities, Cleveland will be better protected from the harmful health effects of air emissions from industrial chemicals and hazardous waste.”

Chemical Solvents’ alleged RCRA violations include failure to comply with emission control requirements for process vents, control devices, hazardous waste tanks, and equipment leaks, as well as assorted hazardous waste violations. The firm’s alleged CAA violations include failure to meet control efficiency requirements, failure to operate and maintain monitoring equipment, and a lack of proper recordkeeping. Chemical Solvents’ alleged CWA violations include numerous exceedances of effluent discharge limits into the regional sewer system, and stormwater violations.

For more information: https://www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees

To read about EPA’s National Compliance Initiative on Reducing Hazardous Air Emissions from Hazardous Waste Facilities: https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/enforcement/national-compliance-initiative-reducing-hazardous-air-emissions-hazardous-waste\

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