On June 8, 2017, Region III entered into a Consent Agreement with, and issued a Final Order to Vorbeck Materials Corp., settling violations of RCRA Subtitle C at the company's facility in Jessup, Maryland ( Facility ). The settlement will ensure that Vorbeck properly handles and disposes of waste solvent generated by the Facility. At the Facility, Vorbeck performs research and development, and manufactures inks and other high tech materials. Because the Facility generates hazardous waste in the form of waste solvents, Vorbeck is required to comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); the federal hazardous waste regulations; and the authorized Maryland Hazardous Waste Management regulations. RCRA is designed to protect human health and the environment by providing for the safe management of such hazardous wastes.
During the inspection, and through subsequent communications, the EPA Inspector learned that Vorbeck: (1) operated a hazardous waste storage facility without a permit or interim status; (2) failed to make a waste determination on waste solvents and solvent-contaminated debris; (3) failed to properly manifest hazardous waste shipped off-site; (4) failed to keep containers holding hazardous waste closed except when necessary to add or remove waste; (5) failed to maintain an adequate contingency plan for the Facility; (6) failed to provide initial and refresher hazardous waste training to employees with hazardous waste management responsibiliti