EPA v. Clean Harbors Inc.

Case summary

'Respondent, through errors in manifesting, labeling, and tracking, contributed heavily to the illegal disposal of 180 PCB Large Capacitors in a non-TSCA section of Chemical Waste Management''s landfill in Model City, New York. Respondent''s facilties are not in Region 2, but because these violations took place during the course of a shipment that ended up being disposed in Region 2, and because Region 2 took a related action on the actual disposal, Region 1 agreed that Region 2 should take this action. A Notice of Opportunity Related to Enforcement Action under TSCA (a Show Cause letter) was issued on July 18, 2001. Then, in a March 15, 2002, letter, Respondent disclosed that that had also, through these same kinds of mistakes, caused the illegal disposal of a PCB Transformer at a non-TSCA facility in New Jersey. Finally, Region 1 had alerted us to two PCB spills they observed during an inspection. It was decided that these violations should be rolled into Region 2''s action.' This action was issued under the revised Part 22 regulations. In the course of the overall action, Respondent notified EPA that they had updated their tracking systems to ensure these kinds of violations would not recur.

Defendants (5)

• Clean Harbors Environmental Services IncNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
• Spring Grove Resource Recovery Inc.Named in complaintNamed in settlement
• Clean Harbors of Connecticut Inc.Named in complaintNamed in settlement
• Clean Harbors Inc.Named in complaintNamed in settlement
• Clean Harbors of Braintree Inc.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (7)

• CLEAN HARBORS OF CONNECTICUT INC.

  761 MIDDLE ST., BRISTOL, CT, 06010

  Registry ID: 110002083478

• CLEAN HARBORS OF CONNECTICUT INC.

  761 MIDDLE ST., BRISTOL, CT, 06010

  Registry ID: 110002083478

• CLEAN HARBORS ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES INC.

  1501 WASHINGTON AVE., BRAINTREE, MA, 02184

  Registry ID: 110003412539

• CLEAN HARBORS OF CONNECTICUT INC.

  761 MIDDLE ST., BRISTOL, CT, 06010

  Registry ID: 110002083478

• SPRING GROVE RESOURCE RECOVERY INC.

  4879 SPRING GROVE AVE, CINCINNATI, OH, 45232

  Registry ID: 110000544206

• CLEAN HARBORS OF BRAINTREE INC.

  385 QUINCY AVE, BRAINTREE, MA, 02184

  Registry ID: 110000311252

• CLEAN HARBORS OF CONNECTICUT INC.

  761 MIDDLE ST., BRISTOL, CT, 06010

  Registry ID: 110002083478

Statutes cited

• TSCA 6-PCBS — PCBS

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• Clean Harbors Inc.entered 2002-09-26

  Primary law: TSCA

  Federal penalty: $85,750

Timeline (4 milestones)

• 2002-09-26Enforcement Action Closed
• 2002-09-26Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 2002-09-26Final Order Issued
• 2002-10-23Enforcement Action Data Entered