The Defendant is an auto recycling company with several facilities in Puerto Rico. The company's management practices have created a serious potential threat to human, health, safety and to the environment and include crushing cars, containing hazardous waste fluid directly over soil without removing such fluids; failure to make hazardous waste determinations; improper disposal of hazardous waste substances; and improper storage of potentially hazardous substances, etc. Some of the facilities are located near substantial bodies of water (i.e. the Caribbean, Rio Grande de Loiza), drinking wells, aquifers, and housing communities.
The entered CD resolves the United States' claims against the Defendant for violations at three different facilities located in Caguas, Ponce Playa, and Hormigueros. EPA has direct implementation responsibility for these rules in Puerto Rico and the settlement requires the Defendant to pay a $50,000 civil penalty in two installments and to implement various practices as injunctive relief to help the facilities maintain compliance with the applicable regulations.