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U.S. EPA and Continental Airlines resolve hazardous waste case at Los Angeles Airport facility

Release Date: 10/2/2003
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, (415) 947-4297

LOS ANGELES -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced it has settled a case with Continental Airlines over violations of federal hazardous waste regulations at a maintenance shop at Los Angeles International Airport.

Continental will pay a penalty of $20,950.82 to resolve five violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act discovered by EPA inspectors at the company's aircraft and vehicle maintenance shop at 7300 World Way West in October 2002.

"This action has set in place measures that will make the facility safer for its workers and the surrounding community," said Amy Zimpfer, acting director of the EPA's Waste Management Division for the Pacific Southwest region. "All facilities, including airlines, have the responsibility to properly manage their hazardous waste. This facility owned up to these infractions and fixed the problems to comply with the law."

Continental was charged with the following counts:

• Failure to determine if some waste being generated at the maintenance shop was indeed

hazardous;

• Failure to conduct weekly inspections where hazardous waste is stored;

• Failure to properly maintain the facility's contingency plan in case of a hazardous waste

spill;

• Leaving a hazardous waste container open; and

• Storage of hazardous waste without a permit.

Continental's World Way maintenance shop is not accessible to the public and no passengers were put at risk.

Today, the EPA also announced it has taken a similar action against Los Angeles World Airports for violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act at Los Angeles International Airport. The penalty in that case was $74,635.

For more information, visit: https://www.epa.gov/rcra