California Waste Solutions and American Metal and Iron fined

Two large providers of waste management services in the Bay Area in California have settled with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for numerous violations of the Clean Water Act. California Waste Solutions, a company that provides waste management services for large portions of Oakland and San Jose will pay a $261,400 penalty. San Jose based scrap metal recycler American Metal and Iron, Inc, will pay a $45,000 penalty.

In September 2007, the EPA filed complaints alleging that California Waste Solutions had violated its permit, discharging waste and other pollutants into nearby waterways at three facilities during the previous five years.

In September 2008, the EPA had also filed a complaint alleging violations at two American Metal and Iron, Inc. (AMI) facilities in San Jose. Violations at AMI include discharges of storm water without a NPDES permit and failure to comply with permit terms after obtaining coverage. Violations of the permit’s terms include failure to monitor storm water discharges and failure to implement adequate controls to prevent the discharge of pollutants into nearby Coyote Creek.

The Clean Water Act requires waste management companies to have controls in place to prevent pollutants from being discharged with storm water into nearby waterways. They must have a storm water pollution prevention plan that sets guidelines and best management practices to follow, to prevent runoff from being contaminated by pollutants.