# HALACO ENGINEERING
> **Judicial** · FY1980 · — · Final Order No Penalty
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `52024`
- **Case Number:** 09-1980-0016
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Final Order No Penalty
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- HALACO ENGINEERING CO. (complaint) (settlement)
## Summary

HALACO ENGINEERING OPERATES A METAL RECYCLING BUSINESS. ITS PRODUCTION PROCESS IS THE SMELTING OF NON-FERROUS METALS FOR RESALE.  WASHWATER FROM THE SMELTING PROCESS (CONTAINING DIRT FROM SCRAP METAL AND FLUX SALTS) AND FROM ITS AIR POL-  LUTION SCRUBBER EQUIPMENT IS DISCHARGED INTO A SETTLING POND WHICH IS LOCATED ON HALACO'S PROPERTY.  THE PLANT AND THE    SETTLING POND ARE LOCATED ADJACENT TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND  ARE SEPARATED ONLY BY SAND DUNES AND THE BEACH.  THE AREA    WAS ONCE CHARECTERIZED BY EITHER WETLAND VEGETATION OR BY    STANDING SURFACE WATER.                                           SEVERAL STATE AGENCIES HAVE MADE ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL    THE DISCHARGE FROM THE PLANT TO THE POND AND INTO THE AREA   JUST NORTH OF THE POND.  THE ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS ISSUED A CEASE AND DESIST ORDER IN 1977 TO STOP HALACO FROM EXPANDING ITS POND AREA.  HALACO FILED SUIT AGAINST THE CORPS FOR DE-  CLARATORY AND AN INJUNCTION.  THE CORPS THEN RECONSIDERED    THE CASE AND DECLARED THAT THE EXPANSION WAS OUT OF ITS LE-  GAL JURISDICTION.                                                 EPA BEGAN INVESTIGATING HALACO'S DISPOSAL ACTIVITIES    AND PARTICIPATING IN INTRA-AGENCY DISCUSSIONS IN EARLY 1980. ON JULY 17, 1980, EPA ISSUED A FINDING OF VIOLATION AND AN   ORDER TO APPLY FOR A NPDES PERMIT OR CEASE ALL DISCHARGES    INTO THE POND.  HALACO THEN FILED A SUIT AGAINST EPA FOR DE- CLARATORY JUDGEMENT AND FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.                    EPA AND DOJ HAVE ALREADY FILED THE A

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*