Archive: March 15, 2022

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Bemis Company, Inc. Settles Hazardous Waste Violations at Plastic Bag Manufacturing Facility in West Hazleton, Pa.

PHILADELPHIA (June 14, 2019) — Bemis Company, Inc. has agreed to pay a $78,000 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its plastic bag manufacturing facility in West Hazleton, Pennsylvania, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today.

EPA cited Bemis for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment, and avoid long and extensive cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

According to EPA, Bemis violated RCRA rules designed to ensure the safe storage of hazardous waste at the facility. The facility generates waste inks and solvents from the printing presses that it uses to print on plastic bread bags.  The alleged violations included:

* Failure to maintain adequate aisle space for hazardous waste containers.

* Failure to perform and record daily inspections of hazardous waste tanks.

* Failure to provide secondary containment for hazardous waste tanks.

*  Failure to provide an adequate hazardous waste management training program.

* Failure to provide volatile hazardous waste tanks with air emission controls, and failure to perform required marking, inspections and monitoring of piping and equipment that conveys this volatile waste.

The settlement reflects the company’s compliance efforts, and its cooperation with EPA. As part of the settlement, Bemis has not admitted liability, but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements.

For more information about EPA’s hazardous waste program, visit https://www.epa.gov/hw

US EPA Notice of New Litigation

RE: Notice of Lawsuit Filed Against EPA – Washington v. EPA, No. 19-00884 (W.D. Wash.)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently received a complaint in the above-captioned case that may be of interest to you. This information is provided for your information only, and this notice does not require you to take any action.

A copy of this complaint can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2019-06/documents/complaint_for_declaratory_and_injunctive_relief_w.d._wa_2.19cv884_06.06.2019.pdf

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To view other complaints and filings, please visit: https://www.epa.gov/ogc

You are receiving this notice because this email address is subscribed to this topic. Manage your subscription at https://www.epa.gov/ogc/email-subscriptions-new-litigation-notifications.

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City of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority to pay$8.4 million in cleanup costs for Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site

PHILADELPHIA (June 12, 2019) – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority have agreed to pay $8.4 million for the agency’s past and future cleanup costs at a portion of the Lower Darby Creek Area Superfund Site, located in both Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, and the City of Philadelphia, just north of the Philadelphia International Airport.

The site includes two separate landfills: the Clearview and Folcroft Landfills. The Clearview Landfill is on the east side of Darby Creek near the intersection of 84th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard. The Folcroft Landfill is located two miles downstream on the west side of Darby Creek and within the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge.

The proposed settlement, filed in federal court by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the EPA, addresses the portion of the Superfund site referred to as Operable Unit 1, which includes the Clearview Landfill, the adjacent Eastwick Regional City Park, and parts of the Eastwick neighborhood.

Past costs include a remedial investigation and feasibility study, design work, and cleanup actions to address contaminated residential properties, and polychlorinated biphenyls contamination at the landfill. Future costs include capping the landfill, reinforcing the streambanks, and leachate collection and treatment.

The agreement was reached under the federal Superfund law — also known as the Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility, Compensation, and Liability Act — which requires landowners, waste generators, and waste transporters responsible for contamination at a Superfund site to clean up the site or reimburse the government or other parties for cleanup activities. See https://www.epa.gov/superfund.

Clearview Landfill operated from the 1950s to the 1970s and closed in the mid-1970s. Wastes accepted at the landfill reportedly included municipal, demolition, and hospital wastes. Waste disposal practices contaminated the soil, groundwater, and fish tissue with hazardous chemicals.

The proposed consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period and court approval. For more information about this site and its cleanup, see www.epa.gov/superfund/lowerdarby.