EPA v. MCI WORLDCOM, INC.

Case summary

BACKGROUND IN RESPONSE TO A TIP, EPA SENT MCI AN INFORMATION REQUEST CO VERING EPCRA, RCRA, CWA/SPCC, AND CAA IN JUNE 1998. IN RESP ONDING TO THE INFORMATION REQUEST, RESPONDENT ESTIMATED THAT IT REVIEWED ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AT APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FACILITIES. AFTER EPA BEGAN INVESTIGATING MCI, IT MERGED W ITH WORLDCOM. ALLEGED VIOLATIONS CAA: AT 68 FACILITIES IN 7 STATES (NJ, PA, NC, TN, OH, CA, AND WA ), MCI FACILITIES APPLIED LATE OR FAILED TO APPLY FOR FEDERA LLY-ENFORCEABLE STATE PERMITS TO CONSTRUCT OR INSTALL A STAN DBY GENERATOR. (MANY OF THESE VIOLATIONS WERE CORRECTED BEF ORE EPA SERVED MCI WITH THE INFORMATION REQUEST). CWA/SPCC: AT 46 FACILITIES IN 26 STATES (AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, G A, IA, ID, MA, MD,MI, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, PA, SC, TN , TX, VA, AND WI), MCI FAILED TO PREPARE SPCC PLANS AS REQUI EPCRA: AT 47 FACILITIES IN 17 STATES (AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, L A, MA, NC, NM, OH, PA, SC, TX, VA, AND WA), MCI FAILED TO SU BMIT REQUIRED REPORTS UNDER EPCRA 311 AND 312. TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SETTLEMENT REQUIRES MCI TO: 1) PAY A CIVIL PENALTY OF $ 625,000. 2) COMPLETE AN EPCRA COMPLIANCE AUDIT AT APPROXIMATELY 230 ( PRE-MERGER) MCI FACILITIES PAY STIPULATED PENALTIES OF $ 500 PER FACILITY FOR ANY DISCOVERED VIOLATIONS. 3). RESPONDENT IS AGREEING TO CONDUCT AN ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT OF ITS WORLDCOM FACILITIES AND TO DISCLOSE UNDER THE AUDIT POLICY.

Defendants (1)

• MCI WORLDCOM, INC.Named in complaintNamed in settlement

Facilities (1)

• WORLDCOM INC

  515 E AMITE ST, JACKSON, MS, 39201

  Registry ID: 110010684713

Statutes cited

• EPCRA 311 — Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• EPCRA 312 — Emergency and Hazardous Chemical Inventory Forms
• CAA 110A — Clean Air Act
• CWA 311J — SPCC and/or Federal Response Plan Violations

Enforcement conclusions (1)

• MCI WORLDCOM, INCentered 2000-03-07

  Primary law: CWA

  Federal penalty: $625,000

Timeline (2 milestones)

• 1999-09-30Complaint Filed/Proposed Order
• 1999-10-21Enforcement Action Data Entered