Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a settlement with U.S. Ecology Nevada (USEN) regarding alleged hazardous waste and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) violations at a landfill located south of Beatty, Nevada. The company will pay a civil penalty of $185,429 to resolve claims related to breaches of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
According to the EPA, USEN violated its RCRA permit by improperly disposing of hazardous debris at the facility. Specifically, USEN failed to comply with regulations by using materials that were not resistant to degradation for wrapping hazardous debris, posing risks of releases in the landfill. Additionally, EPA identified several TSCA-related violations concerning PCBs. These included failing to maintain the PCB storage building adequately to prevent precipitation from contacting stored PCB waste containers, misusing a PCB tanker truck loading pad for consolidating RCRA hazardous waste, and improperly solidifying low-level PCBs (< 50 parts per million). The company also neglected proper labeling of a PCB storage area, did not meet one-year disposal and Exception Report requirements, and failed to date PCB containers with removal from service dates.
“Nevada residents should not have to live with the threat of exposure to harmful materials like PCBs and hazardous waste,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “With these enforcement actions, EPA is holding facilities accountable when they fail to follow our nation’s critical chemical safety laws.”
PCBs are part of a broad family of manufactured organic chemicals known as chlorinated hydrocarbons. They were domestically produced from 1929 until their manufacturing was banned in 1979 due to their range of toxicity and environmental persistence. Known for their non-flammability, chemical stability, high boiling point, and electrical insulating properties, PCBs were used in numerous industrial and commercial applications.
For more information on PCBs or EPA’s RCRA programs:
- Visit EPA’s Learn about Polychlorinated Biphenyls webpage.
- Visit EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Laws and Regulation webpage.
- To report possible violations of environmental laws: visit EPA’s Report an Environmental Violation webpage.
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region online or connect via Facebook, Instagram, or X.
