Chemical inventory reporting violation: EPA settles with Environmental Management Corp., Lincoln

(Originally posted Friday)

[March 19, 2010]  CHICAGO -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5 recently settled an administrative case involving hazardous chemical inventory reporting violations at the municipal wastewater treatment plant in Lincoln, operated by Environmental Management Corp. The company will pay a civil penalty of $12,500 and purchase 10 direct-fired heaters for diesel school buses, valued at $41,000, for two Logan County school districts.

Environmental Management Corp. failed to provide emergency and hazardous chemical inventory forms to state and local authorities. EMC was storing chlorine and diesel fuel over the minimum threshold level. According to Richard Karl, EPA Region 5's Superfund director, "the company has since switched from chlorine to sodium hypochlorite, has cooperated fully with the investigation and is now in compliance."

Responders need to know what chemicals are stored at facilities so they can take steps to protect people living and working in the area.

Chester-East Lincoln and Hartsburg-Emden school districts will receive the direct-fired heaters for diesel school bus retrofits. That will reduce the amount of diesel emissions from the buses. Diesel emission reduction is an EPA priority project.

[Text from file received from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5]