Three years after an initial investigation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a settlement with Tradebe Treatment and Recycling Northeast LLC.
According to the agency, the waste reclamation and recycling solutions violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Clean Air Act (CAA) at the company’s hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities in Meriden and Bridgeport, Conn.
“Today’s proposed settlement means cleaner air for communities in Meriden and Bridgeport as a result of pollution control equipment that will be installed at Tradebe’s facilities in those places,” said EPA New England Regional Administrator Alexandra Dunn, in a statement. “Hazardous air pollution poses serious public health impacts, so that’s why EPA is committed to improving compliance with the laws that regulate them.”
Under the proposed settlement, Tradebe will install at both facilities equipment to control the emissions of certain types of hazardous waste air pollutants and volatile organic compounds (VOC), which can pose a range of short- and long-term adverse health effects.
The company will replace its current air controls, which use carbon to absorb hazardous waste emissions, with new equipment that will burn up and destroy the emissions. Tradebe will also purchase new emissions leak detection equipment for both facilities.
The proposed settlement requires Tradebe to maintain full compliance with their RCRA permits and applicable hazardous waste laws, including RCRA air pollution control regulations. Both facilities will also install new air emission control systems to permanently replace their current control systems. The company will also maintain compliance with the facilities’ air permits.
EPA estimates that Tradebe will spend at least $920,000 to comply with the compliance and pollution control system installation requirements of today’s proposed settlement. The company will also pay a $525,000 civil penalty.
Tradebe has already addressed and corrected the alleged RCRA violations that EPA and the state of Connecticut identified during their inspections of the company’s two facilities. Tradebe also obtained new air permits at the facilities for CAA compliance.
In 2015, EPA conducted a RCRA inspection of the Meriden facility and conducted CAA inspections of both facilities. Also in 2015, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection conducted a RCRA inspection of the Bridgeport facility and issued a state RCRA notice of violation after identifying potential violations there. EPA subsequently issued a RCRA notice of potential violation to the Meriden facility and issued a CAA notice of violation to both facilities. Tradebe’s cooperation resulted in reaching the proposed settlement.
This proposed settlement is part of EPA’s National Compliance Initiative for addressing hazardous air pollutants at hazardous waste facilities.