Trucking Company Fined by EPA for Cranston Hazardous Waste Violations

CRANSTON, RI—Con-way Freight will pay a $42,9000 Environmental Protection Agency fine for alleged violation of hazardous waste laws at a facility it operates in Cranstion.

According to the EPA, the freight service center at 15 Southern Industrial Road stores damaged containers of products “that may contain hazardous chemicals.”

As a result of the agreement reached between the Michigan-headquartered company and the EPA, the handling of those chemicals “will be safer as the result.”

Specifically, the EPA alleged Con-way to have failed to follow inspection, record-keeping, labeling and training requirements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

“Carefully following measures outlined in the federal hazardous waste law helps insure that the public and the environment are not harmed by dangerous chemicals,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “This agreement brings this company into compliance with the law and brings the community an added measure of safety.”

The EPA has strict requirements about the storage of hazardous materials and chemicals so they don’t end up released into the environment.

The case began after an EPA inspection of the facility during which investigators found the RCRA compliance violations.

The company is required to perform weekly inspections of containers and keep records of those inspections. They also must have a waste contingency plan for the facility, offer hazardous material training for some employees and maintain proper records.

Con-way has since corrected its alleged violations.