Honeywell International Inc. was fined $11.8 million Friday after it pleaded guilty to storing hazardous waste from its nuclear fuel division without a permit.
The company was found in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which requires a permit for storing hazardous materials for more than 90 days.
U.S. EPA said the fine showed that the Obama administration will be vigilant in pursuing companies that violate permit requirements.
"The defendant's illegal storage practices put employees at risk of exposure to radioactive and hazardous materials," Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for U.S. EPA's Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, said in a statement. "[The] plea agreement and sentencing shows that those who try to circumvent the law and place people's health and the environment at risk will be vigorously prosecuted."
At issue in the case was Honeywell's storage of a byproduct at its uranium hexafluoride conversion facility in Massac County, Ill., near Metropolis. The Metropolis facility is the only one in the country that converts natural uranium into nuclear fuel, and Honeywell is licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to possess and manage natural uranium.
To control the air emissions from the conversion process, all air emissions are scrubbed with potassium hydroxide (KOH) before being discharged. The KOH scrubbers and equipment used in that process accumulate uranium compounds and are then pumped into 55-gallon drums in what is called "KOH mud."
KOH mud has a pH greater than or equal to 12.5 and thus is subject to RCRA regulations.
Originally, Honeywell put the KOH mud through a reclamation process to extract the uranium from the substance. In 2002, it discontinued that practice. By September 2008, Honeywell had accumulated more than 7,000 drums of KOH mud at its facility, according to EPA. In April 2009, EPA conducted a search of the property and found nearly 7,500 drums.
Honeywell has sought the proper permits for the waste. In July 2007, the company requested a modified RCRA permit, which it received from the Illinois EPA and which allowed it to store KOH mud in an area designed contain spills or leaks. Honeywell began storing its KOH mud in compliance with that permit in March 2010.
Honeywell will also be subject to a five-year probation period as a result of the case.
