Dive Brief:

• Switchgear and components manufacturer Powercon Corporation will pay a $40,000 penalty to settle EPA allegations that the company violated mandated protocol tied to treatment and storage of hazardous waste, training, recordkeeping, maintenance, and labeling of universal waste batteries at its Severn, MD location.
• The EPA stated in a press release that the company failed to adhere to rules of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which governs the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.
• Powercon will also complete a "supplemental environmental project," a $2,700 fluid management system to reduce hazardous waste at the Severn facility, according to the EPA.  The company does not claim liability for the alleged violations, but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements," according to the EPA.

Dive Insight:

This is not the first time in the past few months that the EPA has cracked down on small companies for alleged improper management of hazardous wastes. 

Referring to EPA’s focus on analyzing data that companies provide to waste-disposal companies, Suzanne Murray of Hayes and Boone stated that the agency is using "data mining" and "new monitoring techniques," adding, "Folks who were not traditionally concerned about this probably should become educated about what they have at their operations."

This past August, the agency proposed new rules for hazardous waste generated by pharmaceutical companies. The EPA has stated the goal of tighter regulations imposed on waste generators, such as in this situation, would be to improve communities’ safety and health by providing "clear, flexible, protective hazardous waste management standards."