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EPA and the Port of Tacoma reach settlement over PCB violations.

Release Date: 08/03/2006
Contact Information: Daniel Duncan, (206) 553-6693, duncan.daniel@epa.gov Jeff Philip, (206) 553-1465, philip.jeff@epa.gov

(Tacoma, WA. – August 3, 2006) The Seattle office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that the Port of Tacoma will pay $7,676 for PCB violations. EPA cited the Port for storing leaking electrical equipment contaminated with polychlorinated bi-phenyls (PCBs) in violation of the federal Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) .

The violations were revealed by the Port of Tacoma following a 2004 EPA inspection of Port property formerly owned by Kaiser Aluminum. The Port acquired the property along with the electrical equipment in 2003. After the EPA inspector pointed out potential violations, the Port began an exhaustive investigation and disposal effort. The Port also submitted a PCB Remediation Plan and is continuing to work closely with the EPA.

According to Daniel Duncan, EPA’s Region 10 PCB Program Coordinator, "The Port of Tacoma went ‘the extra mile' to insure that any PCB contamination was recognized and cleaned-up right away."

“Puget Sound marine mammals suffer from some of the highest PCB contamination rates in the world,” said Mike Bussell, Regional Enforcement Director for the EPA. “Anyone with old transformers and other electrical equipment must ensure they are not leaking PCB’s. To ignore that responsibility endangers the waters of Puget Sound. The Port of Tacoma violated the law, but they did the right thing in cleaning it up. I hope everyone else learns from their example.”

Rules governing PCBs and additional information on the toxic substance can be found at EPA’s PCB homepage at: https://www.epa.gov/pcb/.