UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III - OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
1650 Arch Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-2029
Phone - 215/814-5100 Fax - 215/814-5102
EPA Environmental News
Contact: Roy Seneca, seneca.roy@epa.gov, 215-814-5567
OMNOVA Solutions Inc. reaches settlement with EPA over toxic chemical violations
PHILADELPHIA (August 16, 2016) – OMNOVA Solutions, Inc. will pay a $7,090 penalty as part of a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to resolve alleged violations involving the transportation of used oil that contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the company’s chemical manufacturing facility located at 1001 Chambers Ave., Jeanette, Pa.
EPA alleged that the company violated PCB regulations under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) when it transported PCB waste to a disposal facility without following proper procedures or completing required documentation. OMNOVA contracted with Veolia, Inc. to pick up and transport its used oil in August 2015. The oil was contaminated with PCBs.
PCBs, a probable human carcinogen, were commonly used as a nonflammable coolant for transformers and other electrical equipment until the 1970's, when Congress strictly limited the manufacture and use of this toxic substance. Although much of the equipment at the chemical manufacturing facility has been replaced or upgraded to remove PCBs, the PCB’s somehow got into the oil during the manufacturing process. OMNOVA is examining their system to determine the exact source of the PCBs so it can develop a permanent solution to remove the PCBs.
OMNOVA has also upgraded its oil disposal process to check the used oil for PCBs before shipping. Any oil that is contaminated with PCBs must be transported to a disposal facility that is authorized to handle contaminated waste.
As part of the settlement, OMNOVA did not admit liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable PCB regulations.
For more information on the health effects, regulations, and cleanup of PCBs, visit http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/tsd/pcbs/index.htm .
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Improving Customer Brand Experiences.
When the world’s top companies (or those aspiring to get there) are looking to create competitive advantage, they come to OMNOVA Solutions. Our technologies, products and services deliver distinctive performance features, thus helping to support our Customers’ reputations for trusted brands around the globe and in a wide variety of markets.
We start with curiosity: Probing to develop a deep understanding of the unmet needs of our Customers…We add collaboration: Working with Customers to find the right solution for their application instead of an off-the-shelf, me-too, anything-will-do kind of product…Then we draw upon our deep expertise in polymer, specialty chemical and material science, broad scale-up and manufacturing capabilities, and global delivery options to provide a product or service that consistently meets our Customers’ – and their Customers’ – expectations.
We bring our solutions to a global marketplace, serving more than 90 countries from operations in North America, Europe and Asia, and technology centers in all three regions as well.