Anniston incinerator cited for violations

Open hazardous waste containers, unmarked drums among ADEM violations

04/14/04

The state has issued a notice of violation against the Army's chemical weapons incinerator for numerous hazardous waste and other violations, according to a letter received at the Anniston Army Depot Tuesday.

"The issues cited do not pose a risk to the public, the work force, or the environment," Army project manager Tim Garrett said in a statement late Tuesday. "They are, rather, primarily administrative in nature."

However, among the violations was a January incident in which the state says a container of hazardous waste was left open rather than closed, as regulations require. Seven 55-gallon drums of hazardous waste also were found that were not marked with required federal hazardous waste codes, the Alabama Department of Environmental Management wrote.

In March, state inspectors wrote that they observed a container of hazardous waste leaking liquid onto the floor of the upper munitions corridor.

The environmental agency has been monitoring the incinerator 24 hours a day to determine compliance with its permit. In the past, the Army has received a letter warning of problems, but no official notice of violation.

In Alabama's system of environmental enforcement, notices of violation do not involve penalties or fines, but are issued for lesser wrongdoing.

In other violations, the state claimed the contractor operating the weapons destruction facility, Westinghouse Anniston, detected permit violations but did not report them, as required.

In another case in March, the state wrote, a leak detection alarm was observed to have been in alarm mode for three days. The letter states that under hazardous waste rules, the alarm should have been inspected within 24 hours of the release of the hazardous waste.

Other alleged violations were more mundane, such as an observation of an open drum of used oil. Some were paperwork violations, such as a March failure to mark the date that accumulation of hazardous waste began.

In their statement, the Army and Westinghouse vowed to do whatever is necessary to resolve the problems. They promised to thoroughly review internal processes and procedures and implement more work force training, if required.

"I welcome ADEM's regulatory oversight and the opportunity that their scrutiny will provide for the continuous improvement of our compliance posture," Garrett said.