Crowne Chrome Plating Fined $100,000 by EPA

A Van Nuys metal plating company has been fined $100,000 for violating federal hazardous waste regulations. An inspection by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency at Crowne Chrome Plating in April 2009 turned up storage of hazardous waste for over 90 days without a permit, and failure to conduct required inspection, train personnel or maintain training records, to maintain required emergency communications equipment, and to make a hazardous waste determination. Crowne’s parent company, TMW Corp., has returned to compliance with the law and will pay the $100,000 fine, the agency said. Wastes generated by the company included alkaline and acidic corrosive liquids and sludges containing heavy metals such as chromium and lead, the agency said, adding the waste was typical of what is generated by metal plating shops. “The toxic wastes and sludges at the Crown Chrome facility have the potential to pose a danger to employees, the surrounding community and the environment,” said Jared Blumenfeld, the EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “EPA is committed to enforcing the federal laws that require all companies to properly store and handle their hazardous wastes.”