News Releases from Region 09

U.S. EPA settles with World Oil companies over hazardous waste violations at Southern California facilities

Companies will install air filtration system in local classrooms

LOS ANGELES – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with DeMenno-Kerdoon and D/K Environmental for improperly managing hazardous waste at the World Oil Recycling facility in Compton, California, and the World Oil Terminals in Vernon, California. Under the agreement, the companies will spend $167,967 on an environmental project to reduce air pollution in local classrooms and pay a $39,092 penalty.

“EPA will continue to work with these companies to ensure they comply with hazardous waste requirements and can thereby protect surrounding communities,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Mike Stoker. “We are pleased they will support our continuing investment in bringing air filters to local classrooms.”

The Compton facility stores and treats used oil, waste oil, oily water, and used anti-freeze and ships hazardous waste to off-site disposal facilities. The Vernon facility also stores and transfers hazardous waste. EPA’s 2017 inspections 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 inspections included:

• Failure to make a hazardous waste determination for certain solid waste generated on-site at both facilities.
• Failure to regularly test waste streams to determine whether wasted shipped off-site met land disposal restrictions standards.

In addition to paying a penalty, the companies will spend $167,967 on the installation of an air filtration system to improve indoor air quality in classrooms in a nearby school or schools. The project will also provide three years of replacement air filters, which are expected to remove more than 90% of ultra-fine particulate matter and black carbon from indoor air.

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

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