EPA - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
10/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/16/2024 11:34
Parker Hannifin pays $366,000 EPA penalty for hazardous waste violations at Enumclaw facility
Parker Hannifin pays $366,000 EPA penalty for hazardous waste violations at Enumclaw facility
October 16, 2024
Contact Information
Bill Dunbar ([email protected])
206-245-7452
EPA inspectors visited the facility in January of 2023 and found over a dozen significant violations, among them:
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treating dangerous waste without a permit;
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failure to adequately train staff about the risks associated with the treatment, handling, and storage of hazardous materials;
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failure to follow appropriate management standards for containers of hazardous waste; and
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failure to conduct inspections of the facility.
These and other violations created an increased risk of releases of toxic substances and worker exposures.
The Washington Department of Ecology previously inspected the same Parker Hannifin facility in 2019, citing multiple violations. During EPA's inspection in 2023, the agency found that five violations previously cited by Ecology had not been corrected. EPA thus increased the penalty to account for this history of non-compliance.
Parker Hannifin also recently settled a Clean Water Act casewith EPA which found multiple violations of the general industrial stormwater permit at the same Enumclaw facility.
"Hazardous waste regulations are in place to protect people and our environment," saidEd Kowalski, director of EPA Region 10's Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. "It's particularly troubling when a state cites a company for violations and the company fails totake compliance seriously. This case is an example of how the partnership between EPA and state agencies is critical to holding repeat violators accountable and protecting people and the environment from hazardous wastes."###
Contact: R10 Public Affairs Office, [email protected]