Westchester County Department of Laboratories & Research failed to make hazardous waste determinations on a variety of wastestreams and failed to meet a myriad of SQG requirements. EPA seeks compliance with SQG requirements as well as HW determinations on a wastestreams.
Westchester County Department of Laboratories & Research (Westchester Co. Labs): a Consent Agreement and Final Order (CA/FO) was entered into with Westchester County, State of New York, on June 9,2004. Westchester County, State of New York, owns and operates Westchester County Department of Laboratories & Research.
Reason for issuance: Government Laboratories have been found in violation of the key regulation for generators of solid wastes, which is to determine whether the solid waste generated is a hazardous waste. Such failures increase the likelihood that hazardous waste is managed outside of the RCRA regulatory universe, increasing the risk of human and environmental exposure.
Background: An RCRA compliance evaluation inspection of Westchester Co. Labs was conducted in July 2001, under the Government Laboratories Initiative. Based on the inspection as well as responses to a Notice of Violation and Information Request Letter, EPA determined that the facility was in violation of RCRA requirements for hazardous waste generators as stipulated in 6 NYCRR Parts 372 and 373. In September 2003, EPA issued a civil administrative complaint against Westchester County. The complaint alleged four sepa