Under Settlement, North Windham, Conneticut Company Reduces Hazardous Waste

BOSTON - In a recent settlement with EPA, the manufacturer of bonded abrasives in North Windham, Conneticut has acquired new equipment that will reduce its generation of waste epoxy resins. The settlement resolves allegations by E.P.A. that United Abrasives, Incorporated violated federal and state hazardous waste laws.

Under the settlement, United Abrasives paid a penalty of $26,619 and spent nearly $100,000 on an environmental plan to help reduce the risks posed by the generation of hazardous wastes, benefiting their local community by installing updated equipment at its North Windham facility that eliminates or reduces the company's generation of waste epoxy resins. The settlement also requires United Abrasives to comply with the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).

The settlement was 1st reached in Sept. 2014. The company has documented that by March 2015, they paid the required penalty and installed the new equipment, which is now fully operational.

In Sept. 2013, E.P.A. filed a complaint against the company alleging violations of hazardous waste management laws. United Abrasives manufactures a variety of bonded abrasives at its North Windham facility, including grinding wheels and adhesive discs. Its violations included: failure to notify of hazardous waste activity; failure to develop and implement a hazardous waste inspection program, and failure to properly manage universal wastes such as fluorescent light bulbs.

Hazardous waste regulations under RCRA are designed to ensure that operating facilities manage hazardous wastes in an environmentally sound manner from "cradle to grave" in order to prevent delivers that could pose risks to human health and the environment. Manufacturing facilities often generate hazardous wastes during production, and those wastes must be properly managed and disposed of.

Since EPA's discovery of the alleged violations at the United Abrasives facility, the company has worked to eliminate 5 of its other hazardous waste streams.

More information on the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act: http://www2.epa.gov/enforcement/waste-chemical-and-cleanup-enforcement#waste

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