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EPA fines Hilcorp over hazardous waste
Inspections had discovered some hazardous materials inappropriately stored, labeled and disposed at Prudhoe Bay field facilities Alan Bailey for Petroleum News
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it has fined Hilcorp North Slope LLC $223,868 for violating several hazardous waste regulations in its Prudhoe Bay facilities. Hilcorp operates the Prudhoe Bay oilfield. EPA has authority to enforce the federal hazardous waste program in Alaska.
"These regulations exist to protect human health and the environment," said Ed Kowalski, director of EPA Region 10 Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. "When companies fail to make an accurate hazardous waste determination and don't label containers or maintain an accurate inventory of hazardous waste, they can put their employees, the general public and the environment in danger."
The fine results from violations determined during EPA inspections of the Prudhoe Bay facilities in 2021 and 2023.
Chromium contamination of gloves According to the consent agreement for the fine, one violation involved a failure by Hilcorp to determine chromium contamination of discarded leather gloves. Consequently the company disposed of the gloves in the Oxbow Landfill, which is not a facility designated for handling hazardous waste. Moreover Hilcorp had not prepared a required manifest for the handling of the gloves, EPA said.
Another violation involved a failure to store four aerosol cans in what is referred to as a satellite accumulation area, an area designated for the management of hazardous waste. In addition, during its 2021 inspection EPA noted that solvent rags and 20 waste aerosol cans that had been placed in a satellite accumulation area had not been labeled as required.
Hazardous batteries, lamp and containers Also in 2021 EPA found improperly labelled waste NiCad and lithium batteries in the Prudhoe Bay Central Power Station. In that same year the agency discovered a lamp containing hazardous material stored in a container that had not been appropriately closed. And in 2023 the agency discovered batteries that constituted hazardous waste but did not have the required labelling.
Also in 2023 EPA observed at various Prudhoe Bay locations containers that held hazardous waste without the required permits.
In 2021 the agency discovered in the Prudhoe Bay hovercraft hanger an unlabeled 250-gallon steel tote holding used oil.
EPA also said that Hilcorp had not notified EPA within the required 60-day timeframe that the company was operating a healthcare facility that can handle pharmaceuticals that can become hazardous waste.
Required training In 2021 EPA determined that Hilcorp's personnel in charge of satellite accumulation areas and waste accumulation areas had not completed their required training. The agency also discovered that Hilcorp had not kept the Prudhoe Bay contingency plan updated with some changes in personnel responsible for overseeing waste management.
While agreeing to pay the assessed penalty for the regulation infringements, Hilcorp has neither admitted to nor denied the specific allegations that the EPA has made, EPA wrote in the consent agreement.
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