The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with NRC Environmental Services Inc., the Oakland Power Company LLC, and NRC and Oakland Power. These companies will pay $230,000 in civil penalties and personnel at California facilities will complete training to ensure familiarity with state and federal hazardous waste regulations.
During 2019-2020, Oakland Power hired NRC to remove tank bottom water from a two million gallon jet fuel tank at the Oakland plant and dispose of it. In April 2020, NRC transported over 8,000 gallons of what the companies believed was tank bottom water in three tanker trucks to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) for disposal as non-hazardous waste. The EBMUD staff sampled the third truck when they suspected it contained petroleum products. The sample showed that the truck’s contents possessed characteristics of hazardous waste, includ-ing elevated concentrations of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylenes. As a result, EPA investigated and determined that the companies’ management and delivery of hazardous waste violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is designed to protect public health and the environment and avoid lengthy and extensive cleanups by requiring the safe, environmentally sound storage and disposal of hazardous waste. With proper training, employees may know how to handle hazardous waste safely and how to respond in an emergency, thereby decreasing the likelihood of a release and worker exposure.