Posted: August 7, 2014
Source: Environmental Leader.com< by Richard Espinoza is VP of IDR Environmental Services.
Keeping up with federal and state regulations is challenging for many businesses. It takes just one complaint from a neighbor or disgruntled former employee to bring state regulators to your doorstep and begin poking around your business, so you must be prepared to avoid hazardous waste fines and costly legal hassles brought on by an investigation.
Here are 5 silly mistakes that businesses often make that lead to trouble with the DTSC (Department of Toxic Substances).
Mistake #1 – Dumping toxic waste into the municipal sewer system
This should be a no-brainer but many companies either through a lack of understanding of the law, or by having the attitude of “I am too small and won’t get caught” often make this mistake.
Illegal dumping of toxic waste is one of the most common violations and easiest for regulators to investigate. This is the low-hanging fruit for the DTSC, and no business or municipal entity is immune from prosecution.
Management or employees often think, “How will anyone know it was me who dumped the waste and where it was dumped?” What they don’t know is that municipalities now have sophisticated sensors in the sewer systems that can identify all kinds of chemicals. These chemicals can be traced to back to the point of origin and ultimately to your business.
There have been several cases reported on where illegal dumping into the sewer system has led to fines including the City of San Luis Obispo, and last year big box retailers like Lowes and Wal-Mart paid multi-million-dollar fines for this violation.
Bottom line: don’t dump your waste down the drain; you will be caught and you will be fined.
Continue reading 5 Mistakes that Lead to Hazardous Waste Fines