EPA Settles with Sherwin-Williams Subsidiary Over Hazardous Waste Violations at California Facility
Engineered Polymer Solutions will pay a $306,436 penalty and complete corrective actions after EPA found improper hazardous waste management and air emissions violations at its Commerce, California, plant.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- November 26, 2025
The EPA has reached a settlement with the Sherwin-Williams Company—operating as Engineered Polymer Solutions—to resolve violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) identified at the company’s resin manufacturing facility in Commerce, California. As part of the agreement, the facility will pay a $306,436 civil penalty and complete actions to return to compliance.
The facility manufactures resins used as base materials for paints. During a routine inspection, EPA determined that the company failed to properly identify hazardous waste it generated, including solvents such as xylene, toluene and butanol—materials that must be managed under strict RCRA requirements.
“The improper disposal of hazardous waste poses a clear risk to human health and the environment,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Director Amy Miller. “EPA is holding companies accountable for managing dangerous waste properly, and we’re ensuring communities in Commerce and the surrounding areas are protected.”
EPA’s inspection also found that the facility did not meet federal air emission standards for equipment and hazardous waste storage tanks. Additional violations included inadequate containment systems, failure to conduct required daily inspections, and not determining whether certain wastes required treatment before disposal.
Under the settlement, Engineered Polymer Solutions must complete a series of return-to-compliance tasks. This includes submitting documentation to EPA showing whether specific wastes meet the definition of RCRA hazardous waste or non-RCRA waste and determining whether federal air emissions standards apply to certain equipment and tanks at the site.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the Content Editor for EPOnline.