BOSTON – The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed Safety-Kleen Systems, Inc. of Norwell a $57,500 penalty following violations of the state Hazardous Waste regulations that occurred at the company’s facility in the Town of Salisbury.
The company operates a treatment storage and disposal facility at 90 Rabbit Rd. in Salisbury under a hazardous waste license issued by MassDEP. During a May 2021 inspection of the facility, MassDEP determined that the company had exceeded its on-site storage capacity of 16,500 gallons at any one time of hazardous and non-hazardous waste on seven different days between December 11, 2020, and May 14, 2021.
The company also failed to properly train staff at the facility, failed to properly record inspection times for four occasions, failed to produce required information at the time of the inspection, and did not clearly label a hazardous waste container being utilized in the storage area.
As part of a consent order, Safety-Kleen must pay $20,125 of the assessed penalty, with the remaining amount suspended if the company does not violate the regulations for up to a year. The company has since reported to MassDEP that they have addressed all the violations found during the inspection.
“Companies that handle, store and treat hazardous wastes must ensure that they follow the regulations that are there to protect the environment and the health of workers and the public,” said Eric Worrall, Director of MassDEP’s Northeast Region Office in Wilmington. “This settlement ensures that the company is back into compliance with the regulations and will operate the facility with the proper safeguards in place.”
MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth, provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives, and ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities served by the agency.