NOTICE OF VIOLATION

 

Via Certified Mail#:______________

Via Certified Mail#:______________

 

 

 

 

To:

Garney D. Scott, President

To:

CT Corporation System

 

Scepter, Inc.

 

Registered Agent for:

 

1485 Scepter Lane

 

Scepter, Inc.

 

Waverly, Tennessee

 

251 East Ohio Street

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

 

Case No. 2005-14605-S

 

Based on an investigation, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has reason to believe that Scepter, Inc. (Respondent) has violated environmental statutes, rules and a permit condition.  The violations are based on the following:

 

1.                  Respondent owns and or operates a dross processing facility and solid waste landfill, Solid Waste Facility Permit FP# 42-07, located at 6467 North Scepter Road in Bicknell, Knox County, Indiana (“Site”).

 

A.        Pursuant to 327 IAC 2-6.1-7, any person who operates, controls or maintains any mode of transportation or facility from which a spill occurs shall, upon discovery of a reportable spill to the soil or surface waters of the state, contain the spill, if possible, to prevent additional spilled material from entering the waters of the state; undertake or cause others to undertake activities needed to accomplish a spill response; and as soon as possible, but within two hours of discovery, communicate a spill report to the Department of Environmental Management, Office of Environmental Response.

 

A reportable spill of landfill leachate from the Site into waters of the state, occurred on or about February 14, 2005 and was not properly contained and/or responded to and/or reported by the Respondent, in violation of 327 IAC 2-6.1-7.

 

B.        Pursuant to 327 IAC 2-1-6(a), all waters at all times and at all places, including themixing zone, shall meet the minimum conditions of being free from substances, materials, floating debris, oil, or scum attributable to municipal, industrial, a agricultural, and other land use practices, or other discharges:

(A)              that will settle to form objectionable deposits;

(B)              that are in amounts sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious;

(C)             that produce color, visible oil sheen, odor, or other conditions in such degree as to create a nuisance;

(D)             which are in amounts sufficient to be acutely toxic to, or otherwise severely injure or kill aquatic life, other animals, plants, or humans; and

(E)              which are in concentrations or combinations that will cause or contribute to the growth of aquatic plants or algae to such degree as to create a nuisance, be unsightly, or otherwise impair the designated uses.

 

Respondent caused and/or allowed the discharge of landfill leachate from the Site on or about February 14, 2005, into waters of the state, that settled to form putrescent or otherwise objectionable deposits and/or was in an amount sufficient to be unsightly or deleterious and/or was in amounts sufficient to be acutely toxic to, or otherwise severely injure or kill aquatic life, other animals, plants or humans, in violation of 327 IAC 2-1-6(a)(1).

 

C.        Pursuant to 327 IAC 5-2-2, any discharge of pollutants into waters of the state as a point source discharge, except for exclusions made in 327 IAC 5-2-4, is prohibited unless in conformity with a valid NPDES Permit obtained prior to the discharge.

 

The Respondent caused and/or allowed the discharge of landfill leachate, a pollutant, from the Site on or about February 14, 2005, into waters of the state, without a valid NPDES permit and without meeting any of the exclusions in 327 IAC 5-2-4, in violation of 327 IAC 5-2-2.

 

D.        Pursuant to IC 13-18-4-5, it is unlawful for any person to throw, run, drain, or otherwise dispose into any of the streams or waters of this state, or to cause, permit, or suffer to be thrown, run, drained, allowed to seep, or otherwise disposed into any waters, any organic or inorganic matter that causes or contributes to a polluted condition of any waters, as determined by a rule of the board adopted under IC 13-18-4-1 and IC 13-18-4-3.

 

The Respondent caused and/or allowed the discharge of landfill leachate, an organic matter, from the Site on or about February 14, 2005, into waters of the state, in violation of 327 IAC 2-6.1-7, 327 IAC 2-1-6(a)(1) and/or 327 IAC 5-2-2, and thus violated IC 13-18-4-5.

 

E.        Pursuant to IC 13-30-2-1(1), no person may discharge, emit, cause, allow, or threaten to discharge, emit, cause, or allow any contaminant or waste, including any noxious odor, either alone or in combination with contaminants from other sources, into the environment or into any publicly owned treatment works in any form which causes or would cause pollution which violates or which would violate rules, standards, or discharge or emission requirements adopted by the appropriate board under the environmental management laws.

 

Respondent caused and/or allowed the discharge of landfill leachate, a contaminant or waste, into the environment from the Site on or about February 14, 2005, in violation of 327 IAC 2-6.1-7, 327 IAC 2-1-6(a)(1) and/or 327 IAC 5-2-2, and thus violated IC 13-30-2-1(1).

 

F.         Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-2(a), on-site roads that provide access to disposal areas must be passable to vehicles utilizing these areas.

 

On February 14, 2005, the on-site road, at the Site, that provides access to disposal areas was not passable to vehicles utilizing these areas, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-2.

 

G.        Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-3, for all restricted waste sites Type I and Type II and nonmunicipal solid waste landfills, except facilities disposing of waste generated on-site, a sign of at least sixteen (16) square feet must be erected at each facility entrance.  The sign must identify the following:  facility name, operating schedule, type of facility, solid waste facility permit number.  For nonmunicipal solid waste landfills, traffic signs or other devices, as needed must be provided to promote an orderly traffic pattern to and from the solid waste discharge area.

 

On February 14, 2005, the information on the sign erected at the site was not legible, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-3.

 

H.        Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-14(c), restricted waste sites Type I and Type II and nonmunicipal solid waste landfills must be graded to promote surface water drainage and to prevent the ponding of water on previously filled areas.

 

On February 17, 2004, the solid waste landfill at the Site was not graded to promote surface water drainage and to prevent ponding of water on previously filled areas, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-14(c).

 

I.          Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-14(d) vegetation must be cleared only as necessary.

 

On February 14, 2004, vegetation at the Site was not cleared as necessary, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-14(d).

 

J.         Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-15, any leachate on the surface of restricted waste sites Type I and Type II and nonmunicipal solid waste landfills must be immediately managed or controlled to prevent off-site migration.  Any surface movement of leachate past a point fifty (50) feet outside of  the solid waste boundary is prohibited except as specified in the facility permit.

 

On February 14 and 15, 2005, leachate moved across the surface of the landfill past a point more than fifty (50) feet outside of the solid waste boundary, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-15.

 

K.        Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-16, any discharge or disposal of collected leachate must be in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and rules.

 

On February 14, 2005, leachate was discharged from the Site that was not in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws and rules, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-16.

 

L.         Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-12(a)(2), restricted waste site Type I and nonmunicipal solid waste landfills must complete the following:  apply and compact no less than six (6) inches of cover over all exposed solid waste:  by the end of each operating day, regardless of weather conditions; in the case of a facility that is open continuously, at least once in every twenty-four (24) hour period; or as specified in the permit.

 

On February 15, 2005, there was less than six (6) inches of cover on numerous areas of the landfill site, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-12(a)(2).

 

M.        Pursuant to Solid Waste Facility Permit FP # 42-07, Condition E13, the permittee shall not cause a discharge of pollutants into waters of the United States, including wetland, that violates the Clean Water Act, including, but not limited to, the requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

 

On February 14, 2005, leachate was discharged into waters of the United States, in violation of Solid Waste Facility Permit FP # 42-07.

 

N.        Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-28-12(a)(3), nonmunicipal solid waste landfills must apply and compact intermediate cover of not less than one (1) foot over any point in the fill that has not received solid waste for ninety (90) days or more.

 

On April 21, 2005, there were points in the landfill that had not received solid waste for ninety (90) days or more and less than one (1) foot of intermediate cover had been applied, in violation of 329 IAC 10-28-12(a)(3).

 

In accordance with IC 13-30-3-3, the Commissioner herein provides notice that a violations may exist and offers an opportunity to enter into an Agreed Order providing for the action required to correct the violations and for the payment of a civil penalty.  The Commissioner is not required to extend this offer for more than sixty (60) days.

 

As provided in IC 13-30-3-3, an alleged violator may enter into an Agreed Order without admitting that the violations occurred.  IDEM encourages settlement by Agreed Order, thereby resulting in quicker correction of the environmental violations and avoidance of extensive litigation.  Timely settlement by Agreed Order may result in a reduced civil penalty.  Also, settlement discussions will allow the opportunity to present any mitigating factors that may be relevant to the violations.

 

If an Agreed Order is not entered into within sixty (60) days of receipt of this Notice of Violation, the Commissioner may issue a Notice and Order under IC 13-30-3-4 containing the actions that must be taken to correct the violations and requiring the payment of an appropriate civil penalty.  Pursuant to IC 13-30-4-1, the Commissioner may assess penalties of up to $25,000 per day for each violation.

 

To discuss this matter further, please contact Craig Henry at 317/233-1136 within fifteen (15) days after receipt of this Notice to request a conference.  If settlement is reached, an Agreed Order will be prepared and sent for review and signature.

 

 

 

For the Commissioner:

 

 

 

 

Date:______________

Signed June 22, 2006

 

Matthew T. Klein

 

Assistant Commissioner for

 

Compliance & Enforcement

 

cc:

Knox County Health Department

Knox County Public File, L File

 

http://www.in.gov/idem/enforcement/

 

Tom Baker, Esq., Hatchett & Hauck Attorneys at Law