EPA v. TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORPORATION (TRANSCO)

Case summary

1. SUBTITLE C OF THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT ( RCRA ), SECTION 309 OF THE CLEAN WATER ACT ( CWA ), AND SECTION 16 OF THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT ( TSCA ). 2. TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORPORATION (TRANSCO), S SUBSIDIARY OF THE TRANSCO ENERGY COMPANY INC. IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. FACILITIES: 532 SITES IN TEXAS, LOUISIANA, ALABAMA, GEOR- GIA, MISSISSIPPI, VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, NEW JERSEY, NEW YORK, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND PENNSYLVANIA. 3. THIS REFERRAL INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT ILLEGAL DISPOSAL PRAC- TICES BY THE RESPONDENT UNDER THREE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: THE RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT ( RCRA ), THE CLEAN WATER ACT ( CWA ), AND THE TOXICS SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT ( TSCA ). IN ADDITION, THE RESPON- DENT FAILED TO OBTAIN PROPER PERMITS UNDER TWO MAJOR EN- VIRONMENTAL LAWS: CWA AND RCRA. SPECIFICALLY, THE RESPON- DENT ROUTINELY DISPOSED OF HAZARDOUS WASTE AND OTHER WASTE MATERIALS IN UNLINED DISPOSAL PITS AND ONSITE IN SURFACE SOILS AT COMPRESSOR STATIONS AND METER STATIONS BETWEEN 1980 AND 1987. THE RESPONDENT FAILED TO OBTAIN PERMITS TO OPERATE THESE PITS OR OTHER WASTE DISPOSAL AREAS IN VIOLATION OF RCRA. TRANSCO ALSO ROUTINELY DIS- CHARGED POLLUTANTS TO WATERS OF THE U.S. WITHOUT A PERMIT IN VIOLATION OF THE CWA. FINALLY, THE RESPONDENT DISPOSED OF PCBS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT IN VIOLATION OF TSCA AND THE PCB REGULATIONS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS REFERRAL SEEKS TO ADDRESS RCRA, CWA, AND TSCA VIOLATIONS NOT COVERED BY ANY EXTANT STATE OR FEDERAL AGREEMENT WITH THE RESPONDENT. THIS REFERRAL SEEKS COMPLIANCE WITH: 1) RCRA'S CLOSURE AND POST CLOSURE REQUIREMENTS TO ADDRESS THE UNPERMITTED USE OF DISPOSAL PITS AT 26 SITES IN EIGTH STATES: TEXAS, LOUISIANA, ALA- BAMA, GEORGIA, MISSISSIPPI, VIRGINIA, MARYLAND, AND NEW JERSEY; 2) RCRA'S DISPOSAL REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ILLEGAL DISPOSAL OF MERCURY AT 477 SITES IN 11 STATES: NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, MISSIS- SIPPI, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, ALABAMA, LOUISIANA AND TEXAS; 3) CWA'S PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS TO ADDRESS UNPER- MITTED DISCHARGE OF POLLUTANTS TO WATERS OF THE U.S IN 22 SITES IN 10 STATES: PENNSYLVANIA, MARYLAND, VIRGINIA, NORTH CAROLINA, MISSISSIPPI, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, LOUISIANA AND TEXAS: AND 4) TSCA'S PCB DISPOSAL REQUIRE- MENTS FOR THE IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF PCBS AT SEVEN SITES IN SIX STATES: MISSISSIPPI, SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, ALA- BAMA, LOUISANA AND TEXAS. 4. RELIEF SOUGHT PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 309 OF THE CWA, SUB- TITLE C OF RCRA, AND SECTION 16 OF TSCA, REGION HAS RE- FERRED THIS CASE TO OBTAIN A SIGNIFICANT CIVIL PENALY. REGION 6 WILL WORK WITH DOJ TO DETERMINE ANAPPROPRIATE FIGURE. ALSO, REGION 6 WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH DOJ TO FASHION AN INFORMATION REQUEST SEEKING ADDITIONAL TECH- NICAL AND (PENALTY-RELATED) INFORMATION WHICH WOULD HELP FRAME THE SPECIFIC INJUNCTIVE RELIEF REQUIRED. 5. TRANSCO OWNS AND OPERATES ONE OF THE LARGEST NATURAL GAS TRANSMISSION PIPELINES IN THE U.S. THIS CIVIL ENFORCEMENT ACTION INVOLVES SIGNIFICANT, OFTEN CONFUSING, ILLEGAL PRACTICES BY TRANSCO UNDER THREE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS. THE VIOLATIONS PRESENT CONTINUING ISSUES OF CHAR- ACTERIZATION AND APPROPRIATE REMEDIATION FOR THE PREVENT- ION OF HARM TO HUMAN HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT. 6. THIS IS THE FIRST REFERRAL DEVELOPED BY THE MULTIMEDIA ENFORCEMENT DIVISION OF EPA'S OFFICE OF ENFORCEMENT AND COMPLIANCE ASSURANCE, IN WASHINGTON, D.C. 7. THE CASE IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENT- AL JUSTICE CONSIDERATIONS.

Defendants (1)

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORP.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (12)

• TGPL STA 0004

  HWY 165 4M S & 1.5M E, TILDEN, TX, 78072

  Registry ID: 110012287284

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS

  STAT#45/15M NLC H171, RAGLEY, LA, 70657

  Registry ID: 110001376378

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE #62

  4711 BAYOU BLACK DR, HOUMA, LA, 70361

  Registry ID: 110010566486

• TGPL STN 65

  HWY 43 N OF, GREENSBURG, LA, 70441-0000

  Registry ID: 110010565584

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORP (TRANSCO)

  2800 POST OAK BLVD, HOUSTON, TX, 770566100

  Registry ID: 110010812692

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS STATION 0050

  HWY 13 N 6 M N OF CITY, EUNICE, LA, 70535

  Registry ID: 110007366983

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPE LINE CORP (TRANSCO)

  2800 POST OAK BLVD, HOUSTON, TX, 770566100

  Registry ID: 110010812692

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS-#0030

  F.M. 2546 4MI FROM HWY 77, EL CAMPO, TX, 77437

  Registry ID: 110012287382

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PPLN

  CONVENT, LA, 70723

  Registry ID: 110015305631

• TGPL STA 0040

  HWY 105W 7M W, SOUR LAKE, TX, 77659

  Registry ID: 110012287293

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS

  STATE 61 AND HIGHWAY 68, JACKSON, LA, 70748

  Registry ID: 110009577537

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PL STA 54

  3149 HWY 10 N, WASHINGTON, LA, 70589

  Registry ID: 110033653678

Statutes cited

• RCRA 3004 — Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Standards
• CWA 301 — NPDES Discharge without a Permit
• RCRA 3005 — Permits for Treatment, Storage, or Disposal of Hazardous Waste
• TSCA 6-PCBS — PCBS
• RCRA 3010 — Notification of Hazardous Waste Activity

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• TRANSCONTINENTAL GAS PIPELINE (TRANSCO)entered 2002-05-14

  Primary law: RCRA

  Federal penalty: $1,400,000

Timeline (7 milestones)

• 1997-04-19Referred To Dept Of Justice
• 1997-06-23Enforcement Action Data Entered
• 2002-02-01Final Order Lodged
• 2002-02-01Complaint Filed With Court
• 2002-05-14Final Order Entered
• 2002-05-14Concluded
• 2002-07-31Enforcement Action Closed