Michael S. Regan 16th Administrator, United States Environmental Protection Agency | Official Website
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that Teck Alaska, Incorporated, the operator of Red Dog Mine near Kotzebue, Alaska, has agreed to pay $429,794 in penalties for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The violations occurred when the company treated and stored hazardous waste without a permit between October 1, 2019, and January 15, 2024.
Red Dog Mine is one of the world’s largest zinc and lead mines and generates significant quantities of hazardous wastes. The company is required to manage these wastes consistent with RCRA requirements, which govern hazardous waste management.
EPA investigators also found that during the same period, the company failed to determine the hazardous characteristics of waste generated in its laboratory. This failure increased the likelihood that hazardous waste would be improperly managed and that not all hazards would be identified prior to determining suitable treatment or disposal methods.
RCRA provides “cradle to grave” control of solid and hazardous waste by establishing management requirements for generators and transporters of hazardous waste as well as for owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities.
“From generation to disposal, hazardous wastes must be dealt with in strict accordance with the law,” said Ed Kowalski, Director of EPA Region 10’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “Teck is an enormous operation with the resources to do things the right way, and we expect this enforcement action will result in full compliance from now on.”
For more information: EPA's Consent Agreement with Teck Alaska, Incorporated (pdf)(2.1 MB, Filed June 7, 2024).
