News Releases from Region 07
United States and State of Nebraska Reach Settlement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. for Violations of Multiple Environmental Laws
Environmental News
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Lenexa, Kan., Aug. 31, 2020) - Today, the United States and the state of Nebraska announced a settlement with Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. to address alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Air Act, and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act at the company’s commercial hazardous waste incinerator in Kimball, Nebraska.
The alleged violations included failure to manage and contain hazardous wastes; failure to comply with air emission limits; failure to comply with chemical accident prevention safety requirements; and failure to timely report use of certain toxic chemicals. Under the terms of the settlement, the company agreed to pay a $790,000 civil penalty and will improve facility practices to protect facility workers and the surrounding community from potentially harmful releases of pollutants.
Reducing risks from such accidental releases of hazardous substances at industrial and chemical facilities is a top priority for EPA and is identified as one of seven National Compliance Initiatives for the Agency.
“Today’s settlement addresses the repeat violations observed through numerous state and federal inspections at Clean Harbors’ Kimball facility,” said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Gulliford. “We are encouraged by the positive steps taken by the company to protect its workers and those living in the Kimball community and downwind from the facility.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), the Kimball facility has been subject to previous enforcement actions, including penalty assessments, in 1997, 2004 and 2010.
Clean Harbors Environmental Services Inc. operates over 150 facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada, including landfills, wastewater treatment facilities, and incineration and recycling centers.
According to EPA and NDEE, improper management of wastes incinerated at the facility led to unsafe conditions that could result in employee injury and/or releases of harmful air pollution outside the facility. For example, the agencies allege that Clean Harbors failed to address multiple fire incidents resulting from the company’s mixing of incompatible wastes.
Terms of the settlement include upgraded plans to classify, manage and contain the wastes incinerated at the facility; an updated fire prevention and response program; and the performance of an environmental audit at the facility to identify and address any continuing noncompliance.
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