United States Environmental Protection Agency
Region 03 - Office of Communications and Government Relations
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EPA Environmental News

Contact: Roy Seneca (215) 814-5567
June 2, 2000

EPA Settles Hazardous Waste Case Against George Washington University

WASHINGTON, DC - George Washington University (GWU) will pay a $27,300 penalty to settle alleged violations of hazardous waste regulations at its Washington, D.C. campus.

Following a September 1999 inspection by EPA and District of Columbia, EPA cited the university for three alleged violations that included:

Transporting hazardous waste between Mount Vernon College in D.C. and GWU campus without a required waste manifest or EPA identification number.
Pouring untreated waste photo fixer directly into a drain in Smith Hall.
Improper temporary storage of hazardous chemicals at various storage and laboratory locations on campus.

These were all alleged violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, which is the principal federal statute regulating the treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste.

As part of the settlement, the university neither admitted nor denied its liability for the alleged violations. However, GWU certified that it is now in compliance with applicable RCRA regulations.

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