Ocanna Inc., based in Akron, Ohio, announced that it will pay a fine of $86,178 in civil penalties for violating its air pollution control permit and state hazardous waste and solid waste regulations.
At two Akron locations where Ocanna owned scrap metal facilities, processing and recycling of scrap metal, including automobile engine blocks, was conducted. Additionally, at the one facility, Harry’s Recycling, the company collected used oil that was used as fuel at another scrap metal facility.
In July 2003, the Ohio EPA discovered the company was not properly analyzing the oil for contaminants. After tests were performed, the EPA found that results indicated used oil with metal contaminants above permitted levels was being burned.
The discovery led the Akron Regional Air Quality Management District to cite the company for failing to comply with used oil contaminant content restrictions in its permit, including metal concentrations and heat content value, failing to submit proper reports and failing to test the used oils with proper testing methods.
The company submitted an application to modify its permit to revise metal content limitations and related monitoring, record-keeping and reporting requirements.
The company had disposed of metal and plastic fragments, ash and other debris from the recycling operations at Harry's. In addition, excavated soil containing debris from the company’s Annaco facility, the other Ocanna facility, was disposed at Harry's. These practices violated Ohio solid waste laws, including illegal open dumping, operating a solid waste facility without a permit and operating a landfill without a license.
For the air pollution control violations, the company will pay a $53,000 penalty. The company is paying an $18,000 penalty for the hazardous waste violations, and $15,178 for the solid waste violations. Portions of each penalty, a total of $17,236, will be paid to Ohio EPA's Clean Diesel School Bus Fund.
In addition, the settlement requires the company to excavate and properly dispose of the mound of waste at Harry's, including any waste that has fallen down the slope leading to the Little Cuyahoga River. After excavation, the waste area must be covered with at least six inches of clean soil, graded, seeded and mulched to form a vegetative cover to protect the river.
Metalico acquired the two facilities from Ocanna last year. The cleanup is expected to be complete by the end of this year.