EPA signs consent order with Phila. firm over PCBs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that SSH Management, LLC and 1500 Walnut Enterprises, LLC signed a consent agreement regarding alleged violations of federal regulations for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an office building at 1500 Walnut St. in Philadelphia.

SSH Management is the manager of the office building and 1500 Walnut Enterprises owns it. Both have agreed to pay a civil penalty of $20,000 and spend $38,600 on a public health environmental project involving the removal and proper disposal of a 191-gallon PCB transformer in the building’s basement.

The consent agreement resolves alleged Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) regulatory violations discovered when EPA inspectors conducted a compliance evaluation inspection at the building on May 6, 2009. The alleged violations include storage of combustible materials near PCB transformer enclosures; failure to prepare and maintain annual visual inspection and maintenance history records for three PCB transformers; and failure to develop and maintain annual written document logs of the PCBs located onsite for 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The companies certified in the consent agreement that they were in compliance with storage, inspection and annual document log requirements at the building. Removal of the PCB transformer will eliminate the potential of exposure to PCBs in the event of a fire or other emergency situation.