The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued an emergency order to TAV Holdings LLC in Atlanta to immediately cease releasing hazardous waste and to not resume operations until the facility is regulation-compliant.
The EPA announced Jan. 10 that the agency had issued an Emergency Unilateral Administrative Order under Section 7003 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to TAV, a metals separation and recovery company. The order requires the company to stop operations and immediately take steps to bring the facility into compliance with EPA regulations regarding the handling of hazardous waste.
“This Order will help to ensure the health and safety of the local community surrounding this facility and of the children attending the school nearby,” Region 4 Administrator Daniel Blackman said in the announcement.
TAV Holdings' facility is located in an "overburdened community" and is adjacent to a middle school. The company "claims to utilize separation technology to recover metals from auto shredder residue and other waste materials," the EPA states in the order. However, joint federal and state EPA inspections in October found the company's improper handling of waste materials resulted in hazardous waste being released into the environment "which may present an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment."
According to the EPA, TAV Holdings has never communicated with state or federal agencies regarding its hazardous-materials handling protocols or any issues with handling the waste. Under the order, the company is required to improve site security and one-site material containment, implement proper storage and disposal plans and submit weekly updates to the EPA. The EPA will hold outreach efforts to the community to keep residents informed on the EPA's progress with the firm.
“EPA takes very seriously our mission to protect people’s health in communities overburdened by pollution. Companies must operate in a manner that does not pose unnecessary risk to their neighbors,” Blackman said in the announcement.
