Iowa manufacturer to pay $59,775 civil penalty for hazardous waste violations

Cemen Tech Inc., a manufacturer of concrete mixing equipment, has agreed to pay a $59,775 civil penalty to the United States to settle a series of alleged violations of federal hazardous waste laws at its facility in Indianola, Iowa.

EPA Region 7 conducted inspections of Cemen Tech’s facility at 1700 N. 14th Street in Indianola in 2007 and 2009, according to an administrative consent agreement and final order filed in Kansas City, Kan.

The inspections noted a series of violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which regulates the proper storage, handling and management of hazardous wastes. Those alleged violations included Cemen Tech’s failure to perform hazardous waste determinations, operating as a hazardous waste treatment, storage or disposal facility without a permit; improper management of used oil, and improper shipping manifests for the transport of hazardous wastes.

In the course of its business as a manufacturer of concrete mixing equipment, Cemen Tech conducts metal fabrication, parts machining, welding, cleaning, painting and maintenance. Through that work, the company generates a variety of hazardous wastes, including paint and solvent wastes, used oil, and used fluorescent and mercury vapor lamps.

“Industries that fail to properly manage their hazardous wastes can pose serious risks to the health and safety of their employees because improper disposal of those wastes can cause serious harm to the environment,” EPA regional administrator Karl Brooks said. “EPA enforces the RCRA to make sure our communities are safe and our natural resources are protected against pollution.”

As part of the settlement, Cemen Tech has agreed to conduct and document hazardous waste determinations for various wastes at its facility. It has also agreed to document that it has properly addressed issues with spilled paint hazards and hazardous waste storage containers at its facility, and that it will make quarterly reports to EPA for one year to demonstrate its compliance with RCRA.