Clean Harbors to Pay $45,000 Penalty for Hazardous Waste Violations in South Phoenix

(Phoenix, Ariz. – May 7, 2007) Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and ADEQ Director Steve Owens today announced that Clean Harbors Arizona, LLC (Clean Harbors) has agreed to pay $45,000 in penalties under a consent judgment with ADEQ for hazardous waste violations at the company’s south Phoenix facility.

Clean Harbors operates a hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facility in south Phoenix. ADEQ’s hazardous waste inspectors observed several violations of environmental regulations during an inspection in July 2005. ADEQ issued a Notice of Violation to Clean Harbors in September 2005, citing several hazardous waste violations that included failure to conduct daily inspections of tanks, failure to transfer hazardous waste from a leaking or compromised container, failure to amend the contingency plan and failure to minimize the possibility of fire, explosion or release of hazardous waste.

Two violations were repeat violations initially discovered during a 2004 inspection of the facility, for which the company received a Notice of Violation in September 2004.

“These were serious violations of our hazardous waste laws,” Owens said. “Clean Harbors must ensure that violations like these do not occur again.”

“I am committed to enforcing the laws that protect human health and the environment. Companies that violate these laws will be held accountable,” Goddard said.

Clean Harbors’ Phoenix facility is located at 1340 West Lincoln Street.

The consent judgment is subject to court approval.