EPA, which conducted inspections at the Danforth Campus, and at the School of Medicine, noted several violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), including failure to make hazardous waste determinations; operating as a treatment, storage or disposal facility without a proper permit and issues related to the storage of hazardous waste beyond legal time limits.
EPA further discovered failure on the part of the university to properly label hazardous waste storage containers; inadequacies in contingency plans for emergencies; inability to provide documentation of hazardous waste training plans, in addition to the storage of mixed waste drums with inadequate aisle space, and storage of ignitable waste within 50ft of the property line at School of Medicine.
Under the settlement agreement, Washington University will conduct clean-out operations at laboratories in Danforth and School of Medicine campuses, and provide documentation of those activities to EPA and spend a minimum of $45,000 on a supplemental environmental project to address hazardous waste issues in 12 high schools within the St. Louis Public Schools District.
Under this project, the university will appoint an environmental services firm to remove, transport and dispose of wastes from school laboratories and will design a unique hazardous waste management program for each school in collaboration with school staffs.
