News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA settlement with facility in Los Angeles will help local students breathe easier

Pacific Resource Recovery Services will fund school air filtration system

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Pacific Resource Recovery Services for improperly managing hazardous waste at their facility in Los Angeles. Under the agreement, the company will spend $100,000 on an air filtration system to improve air quality in classrooms at a school near the facility and pay a $36,000 penalty.

“Compliance with hazardous waste permits is imperative to protect the surrounding community and environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker.  “We are pleased the company will invest in the local community by bringing air filters to local classrooms.”

Pacific Resource Recovery Services operates an industrial waste management and recycling facility.  During a July 2017 inspection, EPA identified violations of federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations.  RCRA rules require the safe management of hazardous waste to protect public health and the environment and to prevent the need for costly and extensive cleanups.

Violations identified during the inspection included:

• Failure to properly prevent emissions of volatile organic compounds from tanks.
• Failure to maintain air emission monitoring equipment.
• Failure to monitor and inspect equipment to accurately detect and prevent emissions.

The installation, operation and management of the school air filtration system will be managed by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.  The district will provide training to school staff to maintain the system, which is expected to remove more than 90% of ultra-fine particulate matter and black carbon from the school’s indoor air.

This settlement is part of EPA’s National Compliance Initiative: Reducing Hazardous Air Emissions at Hazardous Waste Facilities.

For more information on EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, please visit: www.epa.gov/rcra

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