Mercury Waste Agrees to Pay $54,000 to Settle RCRA Issue
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 has reached an agreement with Mercury Waste Solutions LLC, Union Grove, Wis., resolving alleged violations of federal rules on hazardous waste and toxic substances.
The company, which recovers and recycles metallic mercury, has agreed to pay a penalty of $54,000 to settle the violations.
Mercury Waste Solutions, located at 21211 Durand Ave., was the site of an equipment malfunction in 2003 and again in 2006. Under the company's Resource Recovery and Conservation Act permit, the facility must be maintained in a manner that minimizes the possibility of a fire, explosion or release of a hazardous waste. EPA inspectors found that the company failed to do so.
The company has agreed to install an air scrubber, a mercury monitoring system and an air breathing system to supply air to employees in case of an incident. Mercury Waste Solutions upgraded its control system, sealed facility floors and built a training room.
The compliance order also resolves allegations that the company violated federal rules on PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) including failure to document PCB storage, prepare spill prevention and control plans, and properly mark the PCB storage area.