Wastewater Treatment Plant Pays for Chemical Reporting Violation
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has settled an administrative case involving hazardous chemical inventory reporting violations at the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Lincoln, Ill., operated by Environmental Management Corp. The company will pay a civil penalty of $12,500 and purchase 10 direct-fired heaters for diesel school buses, valued at $41,000, for two Logan County school districts.
According to EPA, the plant was storing chlorine and diesel fuel over the minimum threshold level and failed to provide emergency and hazardous chemical inventory forms to state and local authorities. Richard Karl, EPA Region 5's Superfund director said, "the company has since switched from chlorine to sodium hypochlorite, has cooperated fully with the investigation, and is now in compliance."
EPA emphasized that responders need to know what chemicals are stored at facilities so they can take steps to protect people living and working in the area.
Chester East Lincoln and Hartsburg-Emden school districts will receive the direct-fired heaters for diesel school bus retrofits, which EPA said will reduce the amount of diesel emissions from the buses. The agency noted that diesel emission reduction is one of its priority projects.