LENEXA, KAN. (FEB. 12, 2024) – Owens Corning Insulating Systems LLC will pay $115,302 in civil penalties to resolve alleged violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Kansas hazardous waste management regulations.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the company generates hazardous wastes at its fiberglass insulation facility in Kansas City, Kansas. During an EPA inspection in October 2022, the Agency determined that the company failed to comply with regulations intended to prevent releases of hazardous waste, including:
- Failure to conduct and document determinations of hazardous waste at the facility.
- Failure to notify the state when it generates new hazardous wastes.
- Operating as a hazardous waste treatment, storage, and/or disposal facility without obtaining a required permit.
- Failure to properly manage certain wastes at the facility.
“This settlement demonstrates EPA’s commitment to protect communities from releases of hazardous waste, especially those already burdened by historical pollution,” said David Cozad, director of EPA Region 7’s Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division. “The Agency is also committed to leveling the playing field for companies that comply with federal law.”
EPA says that Owens Corning was previously fined by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in 2017 for the same or similar violations. The Agency also reports that since the 2022 inspection, Owens Corning has taken the necessary steps to correct the violations and return to compliance.
EPA identified the community surrounding the Owens Corning facility as a potentially sensitive area because of exposures to diesel particulate matter, air toxics cancer risk, and hazardous waste proximity. EPA is strengthening enforcement in overburdened communities to address disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of industrial operations on vulnerable populations.
The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act creates the framework for the proper management of hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste.
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