GT Metals & Salvage pays Clean Water Act penalty

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that GT Metals & Salvage LLC of Longview, Washington has agreed to pay a $50,300 penalty for repeated Clean Water Act violations.

EPA found the company failed to comply with Washington’s Industrial Stormwater General Permit which resulted in regular discharges of stormwater into ditches that eventually reach the Columbia River. Industrial stormwater from sites like GT Metals may include metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), fuel oil, hydraulic oil, brake fluids, lead acid, and lead oxides. These pollutants and other debris can harm aquatic life and affect water quality.

During inspections on February 2020, EPA found that the company failed to:

• develop a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP);
• implement best management practices;
• conduct required sampling of discharges;
• conduct monthly visual inspections; and
• complete, submit, and maintain records.

“Despite compliance assistance provided by state and local agencies, along with numerous enforcement actions over the past 10 years, it seems the company was unwilling to reach compliance,” said Ed Kowalski, director of EPA Region 10’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “EPA works to protect public health and the environment by limiting pollution in runoff from industrial activities. When companies comply with permits, they’re better equipped to prevent and reduce potential discharge of industrial pollution.”

In an EPA order, GT Metals also agreed to develop a SWPPP, implement best management practices, begin monitoring stormwater discharges, improve site conditions, and submit reports to EPA demonstrating effective implementation of the requirements of the Industrial Stormwater General Permit.

Additional GT Metals settlement details can be found in the consent agreement and final order filed February 16, 2022.

Original source can be found here.