Sivyer Steel Agrees to EPA Settlement

Sivyer Steel Corp., a vertically integrated foundry, machining, and heat-treating operation in Bettendorf, IA, agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 concerning violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). As part of the settlement, Sivyer Steel will pay a civil penalty totaling $54,786, and clean up residual used oil that may have leaked from storage tanks on the site. In a statement, the EPA reported that it inspected Sivyer Steel’s Bettendorf plant in March 2010. Several RCRA violations were noted concerning the foundry’s storage, treatment, transportation, and disposal of hazardous waste. Specifically, EPA said Sivyer Steel operated a hazardous waste facility without a RCRA permit or interim status; failed to comply with hazardous waste generator requirements; failed to comply with used oil requirements; and failed to comply with universal waste requirements. In its statement, Sivyer Steel explained that a routine inspection by EPA discovered the plant to be in violation of federal hazardous waste regulations, which resulted in a fine “related to improper labeling of materials used in the manufacturing process, improper labeling of boxes containing spent light bulbs, and a small hydraulic leak on a pump which was contained by the concrete barrier around the pump. “All items were corrected by April of 2010, well within the allowed 30 day time frame,” the company’s statement emphasized. “At no time was there any soil contamination.” In addition to paying the civil penalty, EPA reported that within 30 days of the settlement Sivyer Steel must demonstrate that its used-oil containers and universal waste lamp containers are properly maintained and labeled. Also, it must show that it has cleaned all areas of the plant site contaminated by leaks of used oil. Finally, the company must notify EPA of the existence of any additional areas at its facility that may be contaminated by leaked used oil, and take appropriate remedial action to address them. The foundry previously settled with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources to remove excessive deposits of spent sand stored on its site. It also agreed to remediate the area of the plant where sand is stored.