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U.S. Navy Settles Hazardous Waste Violations at its Patuxent River Naval Air Station

Release Date: 10/23/2012
Contact Information: Donna Heron 215-814-5113 / heron.donna@epa.gov

PHILADELPHIA (Oct. 23, 2012) -- The U.S. Navy has agreed to pay a $38,500 penalty to settle alleged hazardous waste violations at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, located at 22268 Cedar Point Road in Patuxent River, Md.

This settlement resolves alleged violations alleged by EPA of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA is designed to protect public health and the environment, and avoid costly cleanups, by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following an EPA inspection, the U.S. Navy was cited for allegedly failing to determine whether waste was hazardous, failing to maintain aisle space to allow for the movement of personnel and fire protection equipment, failing to conduct weekly inspections of waste containers for leaks and deterioration, failing to mark each container with a date and whether it contained hazardous waste, failing to keep hazardous waste containers closed during storage, and failing to properly maintain leak detection and spill prevention equipment on underground storage tanks.

The violations were found in 11 buildings including: the public works transportation, the hazmat warehouse, the Webster field annex, hangar, fleet readiness center, and the materials lab.

The $38,500 settlement penalty reflects the Navy's cooperation in resolving this matter. The Navy has certified its compliance with applicable hazardous waste requirements.

For more information about hazardous waste and RCRA, visit https://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/index.htm.