EPA Announces Settlement with Ameresco Palmetto, LLC of Wellford, South Carolina, for Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations
GREENVILLE, S.C. (September 30, 2024) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today that it has reached a settlement with Ameresco Palmetto, LLC (Ameresco) of Wellford, South Carolina, to resolve alleged violations of federal and state laws governing the handling and storage of hazardous waste at its facility in South Carolina.
In March 2023, representatives of the EPA conducted a compliance evaluation inspection at the facility under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The EPA was accompanied by inspectors from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, now the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. At the time of the inspection, the EPA found several potential violations of state and federal hazardous waste laws relating to the management of hazardous waste in containers and tanks, including volatile organic air emission requirements.
“It's important that generators of hazardous wastes follow applicable federal and state regulations to protect human health and the environment. Generators are responsible for the appropriate management of their wastes,” said Keriema Newman, Director of the Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Division of the EPA’s Southeast Region. “Companies will be held accountable when they do not follow applicable state and federal environmental laws.”
Pursuant to the settlement, the company has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $231,000 and has certified that it has corrected all alleged noncompliance.
Read the EPA’s Consent Agreement and Final Order with Ameresco.
Learn more about EPA’s hazardous waste program here.
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