Pax River Fined $38,000 for EPA Violations

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The U.S. Navy has agreed to pay a $38,500 penalty to settle alleged hazardous waste violations at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, according to an Environmental Protection Agency.

This settlement resolves alleged violations alleged by the EPA of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the federal law governing the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.

Following an EPA inspection, the U.S. Navy was cited for allegedly failing to determine whether waste was hazardous, failing to maintain aisle space to allow for the movement of personnel and fire protection equipment, failing to conduct weekly inspections of waste containers for leaks and deterioration, failing to mark each container with a date and whether it contained hazardous waste, failing to keep hazardous waste containers closed during storage, and failing to properly maintain leak detection and spill prevention equipment on underground storage tanks.

The violations were found in 11 buildings including: the public works transportation, the hazmat warehouse, Webster Outlying Field, hangar, fleet readiness center, and the materials lab.

The EPA says the $38,500 settlement penalty reflects the Navy’s cooperation in resolving this matter. The Navy has certified its compliance with applicable hazardous waste requirements, according to the EPA.

Pax River executive officer Capt. Ben Shevchuk wrote an editorial in the Tester in August urging the base to be more compliant with EPA regulations following the inspections.

And now back to your regularly scheduled Morning Coffee:

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