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EPA Proposes $400,000 Penalty Against Natick DPW for Hazardous Waste Violations; EPA New England Also Sends Warning Letters to 1,000 Cities and Towns in New England

Release Date: 06/22/2000
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042) Peyton Fleming, EPA Press Office (617-918-1008)

BOSTON -As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's effort to bring public agencies in compliance with federal environmental laws, EPA New England today proposed a $396,299 penalty against the Natick Department of Public Works for numerous violations of federal hazardous waste management laws and a violation of the Clean Water Act.

"The EPA expects public agencies as well as private concerns to be responsible environmental neighbors and follow federal environmental laws," said Mindy S. Lubber, Regional Administrator for EPA New England. "This complaint against Natick should serve as a warning to other communities that EPA will take tough action against municipalities that put the environment and the public at risk by violating federal environmental laws."

In concert with today's complaint, EPA New England today sent letters to town managers and mayors in nearly 1,000 towns and cities in New England warning them that public agencies are responsible for complying with the same environmental standards as companies and offering them assistance in complying with environmental laws.

"Sound environmental management is critical to both the quality of New England's environment and to your town's bottom line," Lubber said in the letter. "The best way to ensure compliance and avoid an enforcement action is to be vigilant about environmental issues and ensure that sufficient resources are available for sound environmental practices."

The letter says EPA New England has seen a wide variety of violations at DPW facilities around the region. Among the common violations listed were: failure to label and date containers of hazardous waste; failure to train personnel who handle hazardous waste; failure to prepare spill prevention control and countermeasure plans, and improper storage and disposal of hazardous wastes, including waste paints and contaminated oils.

The complaint against Natick and these letters are part of EPA New England's Public Agencies Enforcement Initiative, which has taken more than 300 actions against federal, state and municipal agencies since the mid-1990s.

Also today, EPA reached a settlement with the town of Watertown in connection with violations of federal environmental laws at the DPW yard. Watertown agreed to pay a $28,447 penalty and make environmental improvements worth at least $85,341 to settle claims that the DPW violated clean water and hazardous waste laws at the DPW garage on Orchard St. when it was inspected by EPA in May 1998.

The administrative complaint issued today against Natick stems from numerous violations discovered during an inspection May 25, 1999, at the town's DPW vehicle maintenance, storage garages and recycling center located at 75 West St. The complaint claims 11 violations of hazardous waste management laws and one violation of the Clean Water Act.

The most serious violations were discovered in a shed located next to a wetland where inspectors found hundreds of containers of waste paint, paint thinners, waste oil, pesticides and many unknown materials being stored on the ground. The materials had apparently been there for years without any controls or management.

While EPA inspectors were on site, a bulldozer plowed into several containers, knocking some over, and crushing some, causing their contents to spill onto the ground.

"Natick's irresponsible management of its hazardous waste threatens not just the environment, but also the health and safety of town employees and the public," Lubber said. "The violations are especially egregious because they came on the heels of Natick's hosting an environmental compliance workshop in 1998 where municipal officials learned just what environmental laws they are expected to follow. The town is now being asked to pay for the cost for its failure to apply that information."

Specifically, EPA alleges that among other violations, Natick:

• stored and disposed of hazardous waste without a permit
• failed to comply with land disposal restrictions
• failed to properly train personnel or post emergency information regarding hazardous waste.
• failed to properly label and date hazardous waste containers.
• failed to prepare a required oil spill prevention plan