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The Sherwin-Williams Company has agreed to pay a $570,000 civil penalty to settle alleged hazardous waste violations at its Baltimore, Md., paint manufacturing facility, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported.
EPA said the settlement reflects the company’s compliance efforts and its cooperation with EPA in the investigation and resolution of the matter. A Sherwin-Williams spokesman reiterated the company’s cooperation and compliance in the issue.
The Alleged Violations
Following a June 2009 inspection by EPA and follow-up investigations, the agency cited the company for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) involving hazardous waste stored at the facility, including waste paint, waste resin and used aerosol cans.
RCRA is a federal law that governs the treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste, and is designed to protect public health and the environment and avoid costly cleanups, EPA said.
EPA alleged that the following violations existed at the Baltimore plant:
• storage of 55-gallon drums of waste paint for greater than 90 days;
• failure to date and properly label hazardous-waste containers;
• failure to properly close and prevent hazardous-waste containers from leaking;
• failure to comply with certain inspection requirements for hazardous waste containers; and
• failure to immediately respond to a release at the facility.
As part of the settlement agreement, Sherwin-Williams did not admit nor deny the alleged violations, but has certified its compliance with applicable RCRA requirements, EPA said.
More information about hazardous waste and RCRA: http://www.epa.gov/wastes/hazard/.
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