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EPA and Price Pfister Settle Hazardous Materials Case

Release Date: 9/30/2002
Contact Information: Mark Merchant, U.S. EPA, (415) 947-4297

     SAN FRANCISCO   The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced that Price Pfister, Inc. has agreed to pay a $71,114 penalty for violations of federal environmental regulations at its Pacoima, Calif. manufacturing plant.

     The EPA charges that Price Pfister violated four  requirements of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act ("RCRA"), which governs the storage and handling of hazardous materials.

     The violations were discovered during an EPA inspection of the Pacoima plant   which is located at 13500 Paxton St.   on Oct. 18, 2001.  An inspector from the City of Los Angeles Fire Department accompanied EPA during the inspection.  Price Pfister machines faucets, parts and bath accessories and does some chrome plating at the plant.  The EPA classifies the Price Pfister facility as "a large quantity generator of hazardous waste."

     During the visit to Price Pfister, EPA inspectors found that the company:
          did not manage its dried wastewater treatment sludge which is considered                       hazardous waste in a way that would minimize the potential for release;
          did not properly close hazardous waste containers;
          did not have records of all weekly hazardous waste storage area inspections;
          stored hazardous waste without a proper permit.

     "Its important that companies follow hazardous waste regulations in order to prevent human  exposures and environmental damage" said Jeff Scott, director of the waste management division at the EPA's San Francisco office.

     Shortly after the EPA inspection, Price Pfister addressed all of the violations by coming into compliance with RCRA regulations. In addition, the company also implemented procedures to ensure that these violations are not repeated.

     For more information about the EPA's compliance and enforcement programs, visit: www.epa.gov/ebtpages/complianceenforcement.html