EPA v. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE, INC.

Case summary

ACS OPERASE AN ORGANIC CHEMICAL PLANT IN GRIFFITH , LAKE COUNTY,INDIANA. THE FACILITY, LOCATED IN THE NDIN, IS AN INDUSTRIAL USER OFTHE HAMMOND SANITARY DISTRICT. REGION 5 HAS DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS OF ACS'S IU PERMIT ISSUED BY HSD. IN ADDITION, THE ACS FACILITY IS SUBJECT TO FEDERAL CATEGORICALPRETREATMENT STANDARDS FOR ORGANIC CHEMICALS, PLASTICS, AND SYNTHETICFIBERS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY UNDER 40 CFR PART 414. REGION 5 HASSIMILARLY DOCUMENTED VIOLATIONS OF THE OCPSF REGULATIONS ATTENDANT WITHTHE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF THE ACS FACILITY. REGION 5 HAS REVIEWED DATA GENERATED BY ACS ITSELF AS WELL AS DATAGENERATED BY HSD IN ASSEMBLING THIS CASE AND DOCUMENTING THESEVIOLATIONS. THE REFERRAL SUGGESTS THAT THE INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONALPRETREATMENT EQUIPMENT MAY BE NECESSARY TO BRING ACS INTO COMPLIANCEWITH ITS HSD-ISSUED IU PERMIT AND THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE, INC. (ACS) OPERATES A SPECIALTY ORGANICCHEMICAL PLANT IN GRIFFITH, LAKE COUNTY, INDIANA. ACS'S GRIFFFITHFACILITY DISCHARGES WASTEWATERS TO THE SEWER SYSTEM OF THE HAMMONDSANITARY DISTRICT, AND IS PERMITTED, REGULATED AND CONTROLLED THROUGHHSD'S INDUSTRIAL PRETREATMENT PROGRAM. ADDITIONALLY, THE FACILITY ISSUBJECT TO FEDERAL CATEGORICAL PRETREATMENT STANDRDS FOR THE ORGANICCHEMICALS, PLASTICS, AND SYNTHEC FIBERS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY UNDER 40CFR PART 414, SUBPART H. SINCE AT LEAST 1988, ACS HAS VIOLATED THETERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ITS INDUSTRIAL USER PERMIT ISSUED BY HSD BYEXCEEDING VARIOUS LOCAL LIMITS. SINCE AT LEAST 12/5/90, ACS HAS ALSOVIOLATED VARIOUS POLLUTANT PARAMETERS REGULATED BY THE OCPSF POINTSOURCE CATEGORICAL STANDARDS IN TITLE 40 OF THE CFR. APART FROM THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THESE VIOLATIONS THEMSELVES, THEFILING OF A CIVIL ACTION AGAINST THIS FACILITY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OFANOTHER REASON. HSD HAS LONG IGNORED ITS INDUSTRIAL USER BASE. BECAUSEOF THIS, HSD'S POTW IS OVERLOADED AND INCAPABLE OF PROVIDING TREATMENTTO ALL INCOMING FLOWS. REGION 5 HAS THUS DEVELOPED A NUMBER OF IU CASESAGAINST HSD INDUSTRIES.

Defendants (1)

• AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE, INC.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (2)

• AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE INCORPORATED

  420 S. COLFAX AVE., GRIFFITH, IN, 46319

  Registry ID: 110000397909

• AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICE INCORPORATED

  420 S. COLFAX AVE., GRIFFITH, IN, 46319

  Registry ID: 110000397909

Statutes cited

• CWA 301/307 — Effluent Limitations - NPDES Toxic & Pretreatment Effluent Standards
• CWA 301A — Clean Water Act

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• AMERICAN CHEMICAL SERVICEentered 1996-07-03

  Primary law: CWA

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 1992-08-01Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1992-09-30Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1993-08-02Complaint Filed With Court
• 1996-07-03Final Order Lodged
• 1996-07-03Final Order Entered