The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 office reached a settlement with Earth Protection Services, a Phoenix-based recycler of fluorescent light ballasts.
The agreement requires Earth Protection to clean up PCB contamination found next to its facility, as well as pay a fine of $2,500.
The company was cited for failing to properly store, decontaminate and dispose of PCBs, as well as storing large amounts of the material without a permit, a violation of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
EPA inspectors discovered the violations during routine inspections of the facility several years ago, finding metal samples that contained quantities of PCBs above the allowable limit for recycled metal. Soil samples collected just outside Earth Protection Services also contained significant PCB contamination.
The EPA banned the manufacture of PCBs in 1978 and regulates their use, storage, and disposal.
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