Case Study | Education
Manufacturing Facility Targeted for Storm Water Lawsuit, Seeking Millions in Fines and Claiming Violations of the Clean Water Act
NES assisted a local machining facility with training personnel to correct and avoid further hazardous waste violations. NES trained personnel and worked with management to identify and assist with implementing processes and procedures, and training personnel to ensure the facility was able to stay in compliance with California’s intricate hazardous waste regulations.
Industry: Machining
Company Size: 70 Employees
Location: Sacramento, California
The Challenge
With a focus on production, ownership did not invest in training for facility personnel to properly handle and manage hazardous waste generated from machining operations. As a result of the lack of training, which led to the failure for personnel to properly identify and manage their self-generated hazardous waste during a routine inspection provided by their CUPA the facility was issued numerous hazardous waste violations, ranging from improperly labeled containers to failing to minimize the potential for the release of hazardous waste to the environment. As a result of the violations the facility faced an administrative enforcement order, penalties, and more frequent inspections.
The NES Solution
Unequipped to correct their hazardous waste issues or train their employees, ownership connected with NES for a solution. With NES acting as a liaison between the facility and the CUPA, NES was able to establish a corrective action plan and timeline to correct facility non-compliant hazardous waste management standards and develop an in-depth employee training program.
The detailed corrective action plan and timeline resulted in the CUPA reducing the penalties. NES’ professional staff first identified procedures and processes which enabled employees to identify and manage hazardous waste from their job duties which complied with hazardous waste regulations without impacting operations or production.
A training program was then developed and provided by NES for all machine operators to reinforce the newly established hazardous management processes.