Monday, February 2, 2015

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY AGREES TO PAY $25K FINE TO RESOLVE HAZARDOUS WASTE VIOLATIONS






WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY AGREES TO PAY $25K FINE TO RESOLVE HAZARDOUS WASTE VIOLATIONS


February 2, 2015

MORGANTOWN — WVU agreed to pay about $25,000 to the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for violations observed during a facility inspection in August, according to DEP documents.

The fine is part of a proposed consent order issued by the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. The order says the violations were discovered during an inspection of a WVU Engineering facility on the Evansdale campus in August 2014.

Tom Aluise, of the DEP public relations office, said the proposed settlement is in public comment period and that its terms could be changed based on received comments or further DEP discussion.

As of 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 30, the public relations officer said no comments were received. The deadline is Feb. 28.

Aluise said once the comment period ends, they will be reviewed, and changes will be made, if necessary. Following the changes, WVU will have to re-sign the order.

Based on the proposed settlement order, the college:

— Failed to perform a hazardous waste determination.
— Failed to keep a container of hazardous waste closed.
— Failed to properly label a container of waste.
— Failed to properly label universal waste batteries.
— Failed to close a container of said batteries.
— Did not respond to an oil spill.
— Did not use the appropriate container to store waste.

After the comment period and any changes made, the order must be signed by the director of the Division of Water and Waste Management. As part of the compliance order, the college must submit for approval a proposed plan of corrective action, outlining how and when the college will be compliant with the laws and rules it violated.

The order was sent to WVU on Nov. 5 and signed Jan. 22, by the university’s director of Environmental Health and Safety, John Principe.

The $24,769 fine will be deposited into the DEP’s Hazardous Waste Management Fund.