[ADEQ Media] Heritage Environmental Services of Coolidge to Pay $125, 000 Penalty to Resolve Violations from Chemical Fire

Wed Aug 19 14:47:50 MST 2009

PHOENIX (Aug. 19, 2009)  - Heritage Environmental Services, a Coolidge
area hazardous waste facility, will pay $125,000 under a consent
judgment with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality for
violations incurred when eight pallets of waste nitrocellulose film
burned in 2006. 

The consent judgment includes a $75,000 civil penalty and $50,000 to
fund a Supplemental Environmental Project in which Heritage will perform
chemical cleanup work in schools in the area. 

The fire occurred on Aug. 5, 2006 when the pallets of film and film
canisters ignited after being exposed to the sun. Four nearby homes were
evacuated but no one was injured.

ADEQ issued a Notice of Violation to the company for storage of
hazardous waste in a non-permitted area of the facility; failure to take
precautions to prevent accidental ignition and minimize the possibility
of fire, explosion, or release of hazardous waste; and misidentification
of hazardous waste on a shipping manifest.

"Their chemical fire put residents at risk so the penalty is steep but
the company is stepping up to improve operations and help community
efforts to reduce chemical exposure in schools," said ADEQ Director
Benjamin  H. Grumbles.

"This was a serious incident requiring a serious response," said Arizona
Attorney General Terry Goddard.  "Companies handling hazardous wastes
must know that Arizona will hold them to the law so that the public is
protected."

The consent judgment is subject to court approval.

-30-

"News media interested in additional information on this or any other
topic concerning the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality should
contact the Office of Communications at (602) 771-2215 or via email at
ms15@azdeq.gov."

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