NOTICE OF VIOLATION

 

 

Via Certified Mail #:

 

 

Via Certified Mail #:

 

 

 

 

To:

Henry L. Boch, President
Cable Plastics Reclaiming, Inc.
1508 East 86th St., Unit 169
Indianapolis, IN  46240

 

Henry L. Boch, Registered Agent for
Cable Plastics Reclaiming, Inc.
775 S. 500 W., Suite A
LaPorte, IN  46350

 

Via Certified Mail #:

 

 

 

To:

Henry L. Boch, Individual
1508 East 86th St., Unit 169
Indianapolis, IN  46240

 

Case No. 2005-14534-H

 

Based on an investigation conducted from August 2004 through March 2005, which included site visits conducted on August 23, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 31, 2004, September 1, 2, 9, 22, and 23, 2004, December 9, 2004, and January 13, 2005, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”) has reason to believe that Cable Plastics Reclaiming, Inc. and Henry L. Boch (collectively, “Respondents”) have violated environmental statutes and rules.  The violations are based on the following:

 

1.                  Respondent Cable Plastics Reclaiming, Inc. owns and operates or operated a facility (the “facility”) located at 755 S. 500 W in LaPorte, LaPorte County, Indiana (the "Site").

 

2.                  Respondent Henry L. Boch is personally involved with and responsible for operations at the facility.  Respondent Henry L. Boch is also the President of Cable Plastics Reclaiming, Inc.

 

3.                  IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents’ operations at the facility, consisting of the reclaiming of copper, polyethylene, nylon, and polyvinyl chloride (“PVC”) from scrap insulation generated by wire choppers, commenced on or about March 2004, and continued through on or about February, 2005.

 

4.                  IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents’ operations at the facility generated various solid wastes, including, but not limited to:  mica mud sludge, mica filter media, filter rinse sludge, unusable filters, compactor waste streams, process wastewater, PVC pellets, and shredded wire.  Additionally, IDEM’s investigation revealed that one or more of the solid wastes generated by the Respondents at the facility contained, among other things, various contaminants including, but not limited to, lead, copper, chlorides, and dissolved solids.

 

5.                  329 Indiana Administrative Code (“IAC”) 3.1 incorporates certain federal hazardous waste management requirements found in 40 Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”) Parts 260 through 273, including those identified below.

 

6.                  Pursuant to 40 CFR 262.11, a person who generates a solid waste must determine if that waste is hazardous.IDEM’s investigation revealed that Respondents did not make hazardous waste determinations on the following wastes, which were solid wastes generated by the Respondents at the facility, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1:

 

A.                 Mica mud sludge;

B.                 Mica filter media;

C.                Filter rinse sludge;

D.                Unusable filters;

E.                 Compactor waste;

F.                 Process wastewater and all other sludges; and

G.                Any and all other wastes associated with the facility’s operations.

 

7.                  The results of toxicity characteristic leaching procedure analyses conducted on samples obtained by IDEM on August 25, 2004, and September 9, 2004, and samples obtained on January 13, 2005, by an independent laboratory retained by the Respondents, indicate that the mica mud sludge, mica filter media, and the process wastewater generated by the Respondents at the facility contain lead concentrations that exceed the hazardous waste regulatory threshold for lead, set forth in 40 CFR Part 261, of 5.0 milligrams per liter.  Thus, the mica mud sludge, mica filter media, and the process wastewater generated by the Respondents at the facility are hazardous wastes, designated as United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Hazardous Waste Code D008, and the Respondents are hazardous waste generators.

 

8.                  Pursuant to 40 CFR 262.12(c), a generator must not offer its hazardous waste to transporters or to treatment, storage, or disposal facilities that have not received an EPA identification number.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents offered hazardous waste [mica sludge (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008) and mica filter media (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008)] to a transporter that did not have an EPA identification number (SES Environmental), and to a disposal facility that did not have an EPA identification number (Three Oaks Landfill).  Additionally, IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents offered, to the LaPorte County Highway Department, which did not have an EPA identification number, hazardous waste [process wastewater (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008)], for use on county roads as dust suppressant, which constitutes disposal, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

9.                  Pursuant to 40 CFR 262.20, a generator who transports or offers for transportation, hazardous waste for off-site treatment, storage, or disposal, must prepare a manifest.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents offered hazardous waste for transportation off-site without preparing a manifest, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

10.             Pursuant to Indiana Code (“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.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused or allowed the transportation of hazardous waste without manifests required by law, in violation of IC 13-30-2-1(12).

 

11.             Pursuant to 40 CFR 268.7(a)(2), if a generator determines that a waste does not meet treatment standards, the generator must submit to the treatment, storage, or disposal facility a one-time notice and certification.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents failed to provide to a disposal facility (Three Oaks Landfill) the notice and certification required for the wastes that did not meet treatment standards [i.e., mica mud sludge (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008) and mica filter media (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008)], in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

12.             Pursuant to 40 CFR 270.1(c), a permit is required for the treatment, storage and disposal of any hazardous waste as identified or listed in 40 CFR Part 261.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents stored, treated, and/or disposed of hazardous waste identified or listed in 40 CFR Part 261 without a permit.  Specifically, the Respondents stored and/or treated and/or disposed of, into a surface impoundment located on property adjacent to the Site, mica mud sludge (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008), mica filter media (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008), and/or process wastewater (EPA Hazardous Waste Code D008), without a permit, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

13.             Pursuant to IC 13-30-2-1(10), a person may not commence or engage in the operation of a hazardous waste facility without having first obtained a permit from IDEM.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents operated a hazardous waste facility without having first obtained a permit from IDEM, in violation of IC 13-30-2-1(10).

 

14.             Pursuant to 329 IAC 3.1-1-10, every hazardous waste generator, transporter, or owner or operator of a hazardous waste facility, must notify the Commissioner of IDEM of its hazardous waste activity on the approved forms.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents failed to notify the Commissioner of IDEM of its hazardous waste treatment, storage, and/or disposal activities, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

15.             Pursuant to 40 CFR 262.12(a), a generator of hazardous waste must not treat, store, dispose, transport, or offer for transportation, hazardous waste without first receiving an EPA identification number.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents failed to receive an EPA identification number prior to treating, storing, and/or disposing of hazardous waste and prior to offering hazardous waste for transportation, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

16.             Pursuant to 40 CFR 264.1,  the owners and operators of a facility which treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste must comply with all applicable portions of 40 CFR 264.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents failed to comply with requirements contained in 40 CFR 264 with respect to the surface impoundment located on property adjacent to the Site into which the Respondents disposed of hazardous waste without a permit, in violation of 329 IAC 3.1.

 

17.             Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-4-2, no person shall cause or allow the storage, containment, processing, or disposal of solid waste in a manner which creates a threat to human health or the environment, including the creating of a fire hazard, vector attraction, air or water pollution, or other contamination.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused or allowed the storage, containment, processing, and/or disposal of solid waste in a manner that created a threat to human health and/or the environment, including the threat of water pollution (by depositing solid waste into a surface impoundment located on property adjacent to the Site, which may have a hydrological connection to the groundwater), in violation of 329 IAC 10-4-2.

 

18.             Pursuant to 329 IAC 10-4-3, open dumping and open dumps, as those terms are defined in IC 13-11-2-146 and IC 13-11-2-147, are prohibited.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused and/or allowed the open dumping of solid wastes at the Site and/or on property located adjacent to the Site, in violation of 329 IAC
10-4-3.

 

19.             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.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused and/or allowed the discharge of contaminants and/or wastes into the environment, in violation of 329 IAC 10-4-2 and 329 IAC 10-4-3, thus violating IC 13-30-2-1(1).

 

20.             Pursuant to IC 13-30-2-1(3), a person may not deposit any contaminants upon the land in a place and manner that creates or would create a pollution hazard that violates or would violate a rule adopted by one (1) of the boards.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused and/or allowed contaminants to be deposited on land located at the Site and/or adjacent to the Site, in violation of 329 IAC 10-4-2 and 329 IAC 10-4-3, thus violating IC 13-30-2-1(3).

 

21.             Pursuant to IC 13-30-2-1(4), a person may not deposit or cause or allow the deposit of any contaminants or solid waste upon the land, except through the use of sanitary landfills, incineration, composting, garbage, or another method acceptable to the solid waste management board.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused and/or allowed contaminants and/or solid waste to be deposited upon land located at the Site and/or adjacent to the Site, in violation of 329 IAC 10-4-2 and 329 IAC 10-4-3, thus violating IC 13-30-2-1(4).

 

22.             Pursuant to IC 13-30-2-1(5), a person may no dump, cause or allow the open dumping of garbage or of any other solid waste in violation of rules adopted by the solid waste management board.

IDEM’s investigation revealed that the Respondents caused and/or allowed the open dumping of solid waste at the Site and/or on property adjacent to the Site, in violation of 329 IAC 10-4-2 and 329 IAC 10-4-3, thus violating IC 13-30-2-1(5).

 

In accordance with IC 13-30-3-3, the Commissioner herein provides notice that violations may exist and offers an opportunity to enter into an Agreed Order to resolve the violations.  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.  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.

 

Please contact Ms. Brenda Lepter at 317/233-5971 within fifteen (15) days after receipt of this Notice to discuss resolution of this matter.

 

 

FOR THE COMMISSIONER:

Date:

 

 

Signed on June 28, 2005

 

Linda Runkle
Assistant Commissioner
Office of Legal Affairs

 

cc:       LaPorte County Health Department (w/enclosure)
Gregory P. Cafouros, Kroger Gardis & Regas, LLP
Office of Legal Counsel (w/enclosure)
Ms. Nancy Johnston, Office of Enforcement (w/enclosure)
Mr. Mark Stanifer, Office of Enforcement (w/enclosure)
Mr. Scott Ormsby, Office of Compliance (w/enclosure)
Mr. John Crawford, Office of Compliance (w/enclosure)
Mr. Mike Kuss, Office of Water Quality (w/enclosure)
Director, Northwest Regional Office (w/enclosure)
OLQ 1B2 File (w/enclosure)
http://www.in.gov/idem