In a press release on Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has reached a settlement with Scranton Manufacturing Company Inc., a company that manufactures equipment for trucks.
The EPA alleged that the company “violated multiple federal regulations intended to protect workers and the public from exposure to the toxic and/or ignitable waste it generated.” The government agency reportedly learned of these violations through an inspection.
The civil penalty Scranton Manufacturing agreed to pay to resolve these allegations was $50,208. In addition to this payment, the company agreed to alter its facility and practices to align with federal regulations.
The EPA release explained that Scranton Manufacturing is categorized as a “‘large quantity generator’ of hazardous waste,” which means it is required to meet specific requirements including having an emergency contingency plan, making arrangements with emergency responders, and complete staff training.
“Because the company failed to meet these requirements, it was operating as an unpermitted hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facility,” the EPA said. It explained that the waste from manufacturing equipment at the facility could cause serious injury or death from direct contact, specifically, if it is ingested or absorbed. Because of this, the EPA oversees federal regulations to identify and safely dispose of the waste.
On its website, the EPA further discusses the dangers of hazardous waste and its efforts to identify, transport, dispose of, or treat hazardous waste. The website claims that the “EPA’s cradle-to-grave hazardous waste management system provides the critical foundation needed to keep America’s land and people safe.”
