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Framingham Hazardous Waste Facility Agrees to $62,000 Fine

Release Date: 01/30/2002
Contact Information: Andrew Spejewski, EPA Press Office, (617- 918-1014)

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that the General Chemical Corporation (now owned by Gentek, Inc.) has agreed to pay a $62,347 civil penalty for hazardous waste violations at its hazardous waste treatment and storage facility in Framingham.

"Companies that are in the business of handling and disposing of hazardous waste need to make sure every step is taken to protect public health and the environment," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA's New England Office. "We're pleased that every violation at the facility was quickly corrected."

A complaint lodged by EPA in 2001 alleged violations of hazardous waste laws that included storage of ignitable waste (which is prohibited by General Chemical's operating license), failure to maintain an up-to-date operating record, failure to separate incompatible wastes, failure to label hazardous waste containers, failure to have an adequate security system, and several violations of EPA's air standards to reduce organic emissions from hazardous waste management activities. The violations were identified during an inspection as part of a regional initiative focusing on hazardous waste facilities storing volatile organic wastes.

Since the filing of the complaint, General Chemical has corrected all violations at the Framingham facility. The company was purchased by Gentek, Inc. last year after the violations were discovered.