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EPA SETTLES WITH CHELSEA COMPANY FOR $17,000, ENVIRONMENTAL UPGRADES

Release Date: 11/20/1997
Contact Information: Leo Kay, Press Office, (617)918-4154

BOSTON - The Environmental Protection Agency reached a settlement with Glyptal, Inc. of Chelsea, Mass. that requires the paint producing company to install a solvents recovery system at the facility and pay $17,742 for violating federal hazardous waste laws.

The solvent recovery system will reuse the spent solvents Glyptal generates as part of its daily operations, eliminating the need for the company to send the waste out of state for processing. The move will lessen the possibility of hazardous waste being released to the environment.

"The improvements Glyptal will make in its daily waste handling procedures, coupled with the solvents recovery system it will install, will provide a safer, cleaner environment for the company's workers, neighbors and surrounding ecosystem," said John P. DeVillars, administrator of the EPA's New England office. "As part of our urban agenda, we will continue to take a close look at companies whose operations could possibly impact the health and well being of New England's inner city residents."

The EPA discovered the following violations during two separate inspections in 1996: Failure to properly mark and label hazardous waste; failure to make weekly inspections and maintain adequate aisle space where hazardous waste is stored; failure to limit on-site accumulation of hazardous waste for 90 days or less; and failure to equip the facility with an emergency communication device.

The penalty marks a reduction from the original proposed fine of $55,000 due to the fact that certain violations posed less of a threat than originally believed and because of the company's willingness to install the solvents recovery system.

Glyptal produces primer and top coats for industrial painting applications such as tank coatings. As part of the company's daily operations, Glyptal generates hazardous waste including various types of solvents.