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STATE OF
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BEFORE THE
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COUNTY OF
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ENVIRONMENTAL
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COMMISSIONER
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OF
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, |
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Complainant, |
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v. |
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Case No. 2022-28771-H |
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HERITAGE
TRANSPORT, LLC, |
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Respondent. |
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AGREED ORDER
Complainant
and Respondent desire to settle and compromise this action without hearing or
adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and consent to the entry of the following
Findings of Fact and Order. Pursuant to Indiana Code (“IC”) 13-30-3-3, entry
into the terms of this Agreed Order does not constitute an admission of any
violation contained herein. Respondent’s entry into this Agreed Order shall not
constitute a waiver of any defense, legal or equitable, which Respondent may
have in any future administrative or judicial proceeding, except a proceeding
to enforce this order.
I. FINDINGS OF FACT
1.
Complainant
is the Commissioner (“Complainant”) of the Indiana Department of Environmental
Management (“IDEM”), a department of the State of Indiana created by IC
13-13-1-1.
2.
Respondent is Heritage Transport, LLC (“Respondent”),
which at the time of the violation was operating out of the facility with
United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) ID No. ILD085349264
located at 15330 Canal Bank Road in Lemont, Cook County, Illinois
3.
IDEM has jurisdiction over the parties and the
subject matter of this action.
4.
Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, IDEM issued a Notice
of Violation (“NOV”) via Certified Mail on December 19, 2022 to:
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Dean
DeSantis, Manager for |
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Heritage
Transport, LLC |
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5400
W. 86th Street |
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Indianapolis,
Indiana 46268 |
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C
T Corporation, Registered Agent for |
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Heritage
Transport, LLC |
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334
North Senate Avenue |
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Indianapolis,
Indiana 46204 |
5.
Respondent transports hazardous and
non-hazardous wastes.
6.
329
Indiana Administrative Code (“IAC”) 3.1 incorporates federal hazardous waste
management requirements found in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) Parts
260 through 270 and Part 273, including those identified below.
7.
During
an investigation including a record
review on May 20, 2022 conducted by a representative of IDEM, the
following violations were found:
a.
Pursuant
to 40 CFR 263.20(a)(1), a transporter may not accept hazardous waste from a
generator unless the transporter is also provided with a manifest from (EPA
Form 8700-22, and if necessary, EPA Form 8700-22A) signed in accordance with
the requirement of § 262.23, or is provided with an electronic manifest that is
obtained, completed, and transmitted in accordance with § 262.20(a)(3) of this
chapter, and signed with a valid and enforceable electronic signature as
described in 40 CFR 262.25.
Pursuant to
IC 13-30-2-1(12), a person may not cause or allow the transportation of a
hazardous waste without a manifest if a manifest is required by law.
Respondent accepted
hazardous waste for transportation and disposal on a non-hazardous waste
manifest. Specifically, Respondent accepted D007 hazardous waste as
non-hazardous waste from US Steel and disposed the waste at Republic’s Newton
County Landfill.
8.
Orders
of the Commissioner are subject to administrative review by the Office of
Environmental Adjudication under IC 4-21.5; however, in recognition of the
settlement reached, Respondent acknowledges notice of this right and waives any right to administrative and judicial review of this Agreed
Order.
II. ORDER
1.
This Agreed Order shall be effective
(“Effective Date”) when it is approved by Complainant or Complainant’s delegate
and has been received by Respondent. This Agreed Order shall have no force or
effect until the Effective Date.
2.
Respondent shall comply with the statutes and rules listed in the
findings of fact above.
3.
Within fifteen (15) days of the Effective Date
of the Agreed Order, Respondent shall submit a corrective and preventative action
plan to prevent future incidents to IDEM.
4.
Upon the Effective Date of the Agreed Order,
Respondent shall comply with 40 CFR 263.20(a)(1) and IC 13-30-2-1(12).
Specifically, shall properly manifest
hazardous waste for transport and/or disposal.
5. All submittals required by this Agreed
Order, unless IDEM notifies the Respondent
otherwise in writing, shall be sent to:
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Jodi
Pisula, Enforcement Case Manager |
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Office
of Land Quality |
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Indiana
Department of Environmental Management |
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100
North Senate Avenue |
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Indianapolis,
IN 46204-2251 |
6. Pursuant to IC 13-30-4-1, Respondent is
assessed and agrees to pay a civil penalty of Fourteen Thousand Dollars ($14,000.00).
Respondent shall pay a portion of this penalty in the amount of Two Thousand Eight
Hundred Dollars ($2,800.00). After this Agreed Order is adopted (signed
by the Assistant Commissioner of the Office of Land Quality), Respondent shall
pay by the due date printed on the Invoice that will be attached to the adopted
Agreed Order.
Civil and stipulated penalties are
payable to the “Environmental Management Special Fund” by:
Mail:
Civil penalties are payable by check to
the “Environmental Management Special Fund”. Checks shall include the Case
Number of this action and shall be mailed to:
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Indiana
Department of Environmental Management |
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Accounts
Receivable |
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IGCN,
Room 1340 |
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100
North Senate Avenue |
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Indianapolis,
IN 46204 |
Online:
Accounts Receivable is accepting
payments online by e-Check, Master Card, Visa or Discover. Please visit www.IN.gov/IDEM.
Under Online Services, click Online Payment options and follow the prompts. A
processing fee of $1 plus 1.99% will be charged for credit card payments.
A processing fee of $1.00 will be charged for eCheck
payments.
The Case Number is required to complete
the process.
Phone:
You may also call us at 317-234-3099 and
follow the instructions for Master Card, Visa or Discover payments. A
processing fee of $1 plus 1.99% will be charged for credit card payments.
A processing fee of $1.00 will be charged for eCheck
payments.
The Case Number is required to complete
the process.
7. In lieu of payment of the remaining
civil penalty, Respondent shall make a cash payment to the Indiana Finance
Authority ("IFA") to fund a Supplemental Environmental Project
("SEP") of activities related to brownfield development at a
brownfield site ("Brownfield Site") in Marion County, Indiana.
Respondent will make a payment in the amount of Eleven Thousand Two Hundred
Dollars ($11,200.00) to fund SEP activities at the Brownfield Site.
Respondent shall make such payment to the IFA within thirty (30) days of the
Effective Date. Payment to the IFA satisfies Respondent's obligation to
undertake a SEP to offset a portion of the civil penalty assessed in this
matter. Implementation of this SEP will benefit the community by rejuvenating
neighborhoods, increasing the tax base, mitigating threats to human health and
the environment, and/or reducing blight. In the event that
the civil penalty is not paid within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date,
Respondent shall pay interest on the unpaid balance at the rate established by
IC 24-4.6-1-101. The interest shall
continue to accrue until the civil penalty is paid in full.
The Brownfield Site at which some or all of the SEP proceeds will be spent will be determined by
the Brownfields Program for a site located in Marion County, Indiana. The
designation of this Brownfield Site to receive the SEP proceeds is agreed upon
by the Complainant, Respondent, and the IFA. The IFA will account for the SEP
payment and the Brownfields Program will oversee the work undertaken at the
Brownfield Site funded by the SEP proceeds. If SEP proceeds remain following a
determination by the Brownfields Program that no additional SEP proceeds are
needed at the Brownfield Site, the Brownfields Program will select another site
or sites in Marion County, Indiana at which work will be funded with the
balance of the SEP proceeds. The IFA will notify IDEM's Enforcement Case
Manager when SEP-funded activities at the Brownfield Site (and any other site
at which activities may be funded with SEP proceeds) are complete.
In the event
that
Respondent does not make its SEP payment within thirty (30) days of the
Effective Date, the full amount of the civil penalty as stated in this
paragraph, plus interest established by IC 24-4.6-1-101 on the remaining
amount, less the portion of the civil penalty Respondent has already paid, will
be due within fifteen (15) days fr
om Respondent's
receipt of IDEM's notice to pay. Interest at the rate established by IC 24-
4.6-1-101, shall be calculated on the amount due from the date which is thirty
(30) days after the Effective Date of this Agreed Order until the full civil
penalty is paid.
Payment of the SEP is payable by check
to the "Indiana Finance Authority." The text "SEP-
Indianapolis" and the Case Numbers of this action shall be included in the
memo line of the check. The check shall be mailed to:
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Meredith
Gramelspacher |
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Indiana
Brownfields Program - SEP 100 N. Senate Avenue |
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Room
1275 |
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Indianapolis,
Indiana 46204 |
8. In the event the terms and conditions
of the following paragraphs are violated, Complainant may assess, and
Respondent shall pay stipulated penalties in the following amounts:
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Paragraph |
Stipulated Penalty |
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Order
paragraph #3 |
$100.00
per week |
9. Stipulated penalties shall be due and
payable after Respondent receives written notice that Complainant has
determined a stipulated penalty is due; at which time, a separate invoice will
be issued. Complainant may notify Respondent at any time that a stipulated
penalty is due. Failure to notify Respondent in writing in a timely manner of a
stipulated penalty assessment shall not waive Complainant’s right to collect
such stipulated penalty or preclude Complainant from seeking additional relief
against Respondent for violation of this Agreed Order. Neither assessment nor
payment of stipulated penalties shall preclude Complainant from seeking
additional relief against Respondent for a violation of this Agreed Order; such
additional relief includes any remedies or sanctions available pursuant to
Indiana law, including, but not limited to, civil penalties pursuant to IC
13-30-4.
10. In the event that
the monies due to IDEM pursuant to this Agreed Order are not paid on or before
their Due Date, Respondent shall pay an additional penalty of 10 percent, payable
to the “Environmental Management Special Fund”, and shall be payable to IDEM in
the manner specified in Paragraph 6,
above.
11. Signatories to this Agreed Order certify
that they are fully authorized to execute this Agreed Order and legally bind
the party they represent.
12. This Agreed Order shall apply to and be
binding upon Respondent and all successors and assigns. Respondent shall
provide a copy of this Agreed Order, if in force, to any subsequent owners,
successors, or assigns before ownership rights are transferred.
13. No change in ownership, corporate, or
partnership status of Respondent shall in any way alter the Respondent’s status or responsibilities under this
Agreed Order.
14. Respondent shall ensure that all
contractors, firms, and other persons performing work under this Agreed Order
comply with the terms of this Agreed Order.
15. In the event that
any terms of this Agreed Order are found to be invalid, the remaining terms shall
remain in full force and effect and shall be construed and enforced as if this
Agreed Order did not contain the invalid terms.
16. This Agreed Order is not and shall not be
interpreted to be a permit or a modification of an existing permit. This Agreed
Order, and IDEM’s review or approval of any submittal made by Respondent pursuant
to this Agreed Order, shall not in any way relieve Respondent of the obligation
to comply with the requirements of any applicable permits or any applicable
Federal or State laws or regulations.
17. Complainant does not, by its approval of
this Agreed Order, warrant or aver in any manner that Respondent’s compliance
with any aspect of this Agreed Order will result in compliance with the
provisions of any permit, order, or any applicable Federal or State law or
regulation. Additionally, IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held
liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a
result of Respondent’s efforts
to comply with this Agreed Order.
18. Nothing in this Agreed Order shall
prevent or limit IDEM’s rights to obtain penalties or injunctive relief under
any applicable Federal or State law or regulation, except that IDEM may not,
and hereby waives its right to seek additional civil penalties for the
violations specified in the NOV.
19. Nothing in this Agreed Order shall
prevent IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf from communicating with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) or any other agency or entity about
any matters relating to this enforcement action. IDEM or anyone acting on its
behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur
as a result of such communications with the U.S. EPA
or any other agency or entity.
20. This Agreed
Order shall remain in effect until IDEM issues a Resolution of Case letter to
Respondent.
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TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATION: |
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Department
of Environmental Management |
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By: |
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Jennifer
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Land
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Compliance
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Office
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RESPONDENT: |
COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT: |
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Heritage
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COUNSEL FOR INDIANA FINANCE AUTHORITY: |
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For
the Indiana Brownfields Program |
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Director and General Counsel |
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COUNSEL &/OR AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: |
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For
the City of Indianapolis |
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APPROVED
AND ADOPTED BY THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL |
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MANAGEMENT
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For
the Commissioner: |
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Signed
2/16/2023 |
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Peggy
Dorsey |
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Assistant
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