EPA v. DOW CHEMICAL

Case summary

1. SECTION 3008 OF THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT OF 1976 ( RCRA ), 42 U.S.C. SEC. 6901 ET SEQ., AS A- MENDED BY THE HAZARDOUS AND SOLID WASTE AMENDMENTS OF 1984 ( HSWA ). 2. DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY P.O. BOX 150 PLAQUEMINE, IBERVILLE PARISH, LA. 70765-0150 3. DOW HAS VIOLATED THE REGULATIONS PROMULGATED PURSUANT TO SUBTITLE C OF RCRA. THE FOUR COUNTS OF VIOLATIONS ARE: 1. VIOLATION OF 40 C.F.R. SEC. 266.104(B) BY EXCEEDING THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE STACK GAS CONCENTRATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) FROM A BOILER BURNING HAZARDOUS WASTE. 2. VIOLATION OF 40 C.F.R. SEC. 266.103(C)(1) BY OPERATING VINYL II PLANT BOILER F-410 ON NOV. 19, 1992, AT A TIME THE SCRUBBER UNIT WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE MINIMUM BLOW- DOWN RATE ESTABLISHED IN THE COC AND WHEN THERE WAS HAZ- ARDOUS WASTE IN THE UNIT. 3. VIOLATION OF 40 C.F.R. SEC. 266.103(C)(1) BY OPERATING VINYL II PLANT BOILER F-410 ON NOV. 19, 1992, AT A TIME WHEN THE SCRUBBER UNIT WAS IN VIOLATION OF THE MINIMUM LIQUID-TO-GAS-RATIO ESTABLISHED IN THE COC AND WHEN THERE WAS HAZARDOUS WASTE IN THE UNIT. 4. VIOLATION OF 40 C.F.R. SEC. 266.103(G) BECAUSE HAZARD- OUS WASTE WAS BURNED IN THE VINYL II F-410 BOILER AT A TIME WHEN THE FACILITY LACKED A FUNCTIONING SYSTEM THAT AUTOMATICALLY CUTS OFF THE HAZARDOUS WASTE FEED WHEN ANY APPLICABLE OPERATING CONDITION DEVIATES FROM THOSE ESTA- BLISHED IN THE CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE. 5. VIOLATION OF 40 C.F.R. SEC. 266.103(G) BY OPERATING THE VINYL II PLANT F-410 AND F-420 BOILERS AT A TIME WHEN THE AUTOMATIC WASTE FEED CUT OFF SHUT DOWN SET POINTS DE- VIATED FROM THOSE SPECIFIED IN THE CERTIFICATION OF COM- PLIANCE. 4. RELIEF SOUGHT PURSUANT TO SECTION 3008(A) OF RCRA, WITH- IN 30 DAYS , SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION THAT THE AUTOMATIC WASTE FEED CUTOFF SET POINTS HAVE BEEB SET TO LEVELS AT OR BELOW THE COC LIMITS AND THAT THE AUTOMATIC WASTE FEED CUTOFF SYSTEM IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AS TO ALL OPERATING PARAMETERS ESTABLISHED IN THE COC. ALSO A PROPOSED PENAL- TY OF $48,500.00 IS ASSESSED.

Defendants (1)

• DOW CHEMICALNamed in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (60)

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY LOUISIANA DIVISION

  HWY. 1 S., PLAQUEMINE, LA, 707650150

  Registry ID: 110001244724

• …and 45 more

Statutes cited

• RCRA 3004 — Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Standards
• RCRA 3005 — Permits for Treatment, Storage, or Disposal of Hazardous Waste
• RCRA 3003 — Standards Applicable to Transporters of Hazardous Waste

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• DOW CHEMICALentered 1994-09-09

  Primary law: RCRA

  Federal penalty: $26,000

Timeline (5 milestones)

• 1993-09-27Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 1993-09-27Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1994-09-09Final Order Issued
• 1994-11-10Compliance Achieved
• 1994-11-10Enforcement Action Closed