BFI Pays Fine for Improper Discharge

Ken Bowman, the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency’s Southwest Regional director, announced that the department has collected a $30,000 fine from BFI Waste Systems of North America’s Imperial Landfill in Findlay Township for improperly discharging hazardous waste from its collection tanks.

“BFI conducted a satisfactory cleanup at the site following the incident,” Bowman said. “In addition, the landfill has installed high-level alarms and made specific changes to its leachate collection system to prevent any future reoccurrence of this problem.”

The problem stemmed from a 5.5-inch rainfall in September 2004 when the storm caused excessive leachate production. There was overflow in the collection and holding tank, resulting in a discharge to the ground.

“BFI was aware of the correlation of excessive water causing an overflow situation and should have had steps in place, like it now has, to take care of the situation,” Bowman said.

BFI’s groundwater collection system was built to capture contaminants leaching from a clay-lined area that was used in the 1970s to dispose of wastes containing benzene, naphthalene and other organic compounds. The leachate is collected by a French drain system, sent through an oil/water separator and conveyed into holding tanks. The holding tanks are routinely pumped when a certain level is reached in the tank.