September 6, 2002—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced August 21 that the Evans Plating Corporation of North Providence has agreed to pay a $133,867 penalty and employ a full-time environmental compliance officer in order to settle hazardous waste and clean water violations at the company’s two facilities in North Providence and Johnston.
“Evans had serious problems with hazardous waste handling and wastewater discharges,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator for EPA’s New England Office. “We’ve worked with Evans for a long time on improving their performance. This settlement is a sign that they’ve accepted their environmental responsibilities.”
The penalty stems from an EPA inspection in 1999, which found numerous violations of hazardous waste regulations. Violations included failing to: train personnel who manage waste, label and track hazardous waste, and store hazardous waste properly. Evans also illegally disposed of hazardous waste to its pretreatment system, which discharges to the Narragansett Bay Commission sewer system.
In addition, the company did not have a spill prevention plan for its oil storage tanks. Discharges to the public water treatment works from both facilities also failed to meet standards for acidity, cyanide, and metals.
As a result of the company’s failure to operate correctly, holding tanks at the Johnston facility overflowed, releasing untreated wastewater and sludge to the ground.
Under the consent agreement announced today, Evans will pay a fine of $133,867 and will devote a full-time employee to environmental compliance. Since the inspections, Evans has hired an environmental consultant to address its pretreatment issues and will be instituting significant changes at its facilities in order to maintain compliance with environmental laws.
