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Washington Boat Building Firm Pays Fine for Right-to-Know Violations

Release Date: 10/27/2000
Contact Information: Dave Somers
somers.david@epamail.epa.gov
(206) 553-2571

October 27, 2000 - - - - - - - - - - 00-62




The Regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that it has settled a public right-to-know case with Oceanus Plastics, Inc., for more than $13,000 in civil penalties and environmental improvements. The EPA cited the company for the failure of its Ferndale, Washington, boat-building operation to report the quantities of toxic wastes it released into the environment. Failure to report such releases is a violation of federal public right-to-know law.

Specifically, the EPA complaint alleges that Oceanus failed to report to EPA from 1995 to 1998 -- under the federal Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) --that the company processed over 25,000 pounds of styrene each year. Styrene is a solvent used in the manufacture of fiberglass products such as boats, and can cause severe or fatal neurological, respiratory and liver damage.

"The TRI is one of the most powerful tools in the country for environmental protection," said Chuck Findley, EPA’s Regional Administrator in Seattle. "The inventory allows the public to learn about chemical releases in their communities by providing information that citizens need and want to know.”

The settlement includes a civil penalty of $4,376. In addition to the penalty, Oceanus has agreed to spend at least $8,670 to reduce amount of pollutants entering the waste stream or otherwise being released into the environment. The improvements will focus on controlling styrene emissions and recovering acetone through a recycling process. The improvements agreed to are beyond those required by federal or state law. The company has agreed to buy new equipment and change technology in critical areas that will bring about a reduction of styrene and acetone emissions by a combined 3100 lbs. each year.

The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA), Section 313, requires more than 20,000 facilities in the nation to report annually to EPA on the total amount of chemicals released into the air, into water or on land -- either accidentally or as result of routine plant operations -- or transported as waste to another location. The reports are compiled by EPA and published annually in the national TRI. The most recent TRI covers releases for 1998, and are available online at https://www.epa.gov/tri