Westminster, Mass., Company Fined for CWA, Community Right-to-Know Violations
Ranor Inc. and its owner, Techprecision Corp., will pay more than
$100,000 in penalties to resolve claims that their facility violated
both the federal Clean Water Act and the Emergency Planning and
Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA), EPA announced on Sept. 27.
The facility, which produces metal products for the military,
nuclear, aerospace and commercial industries, violated Clean Water
requirements by discharging stormwater without a permit. Because the
permitting requirements were not followed, the facility also failed to
implement "best management practices" to address stormwater discharges
and failed to perform required monitoring that would show the quantity
of pollutants being discharged into waters of the United States.
The facility's stormwater discharges to a beaver pond and an unnamed
perennial stream, which lead to other bodies of water. Activities that
take place at industrial facilities, such as material handling and
storage, are often exposed to the weather. As runoff from rain or
snowmelt comes into contact with these materials, it picks up
pollutants and transports them to nearby storm sewer systems, rivers,
lakes, or coastal waters.
The facility also failed to file with EPA required "Toxic Release
Inventory" reporting forms for the years 2003 and 2004, as required by
EPCRA, relating to the facility's processing of nickel, chromium and
manganese. This failure to comply with chemical reporting requirements
hampers the general public's ability to obtain accurate, quantifiable
data about the type and amount of pollutants being released in their
neighborhoods.
The settlement includes a $90,635 penalty payment and an additional
$15,000 for a supplemental environmental project to purchase chemical
emergency response equipment that would be donated to the Westminster
Fire Department.