EPA Region 10 filed a consent agreement and final order resolving violations of the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA) by EcoLab, Inc. (EcoLab), in Tacoma, Washington. On or about March 19, 2019, an EcoLab
employee removed approximately 177.5 pounds of Spent Weevil-Cide from a shipping vessel in
Longview, Washington. This partially spent Weevil-Cide was placed in two dry deactivation
containers at EcoLab?s Tacoma Facility. On March 19, 2019, the Tacoma Fire Department responded
to a fire incident associated with the two dry deactivation containers. In addition, both Ecology and
EPA responded to the emergency fire incident because of the release of hazardous substance to the
environment. According to Ecology?s spill response report, the partially spent Weevil-Cide reacted
with water in the air to produce hydrogen phosphide (phosphine) gas, which ignited spontaneously.
The reaction produced significant levels of phosphine that warranted the evacuation of the EcoLab
facility and a shelter-in-place of the nearby facility. A person working nearby was taken to the hospital
due to inhalation exposure to phosphine during the fire incident. EcoLab violated the hazardous waste
management requirements of RCRA by failing to obtain an EPA transporter ID number; receiving
dangerous waste from offsite generators without a permit; and storing and/or treating dangerous waste
without a permit. EcoLab v