EPA Stops Illegal Waste Handling Activities at Additional HPI Products Locations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now has stopped illegal waste handling activities at four of eight HPI Products locations in St. Joseph, Mo., because of serious, long-term neglect of the environment and public health, EPA Region 7 Administrator John B. Askew announced today.

“We are serious about protecting human health and the environment and will not tolerate companies violating our laws,” Askew said. “We have ordered HPI Products to cease illegal waste handling activities at two additional locations. We have ordered immediate cleanup of releases in the buildings and any surrounding areas.”

EPA found 426 drums and 24,000 containers of waste at HPI’s warehouse, located at 313 S. Third St. Also, EPA found 53 drums and 330 containers of waste at its main production facility, 222 Sylvanie St. Most of the drums were unlabeled or leaking and had been stored for a number of years. EPA found more than 1,000 pounds of hazardous waste and some wastes that were potentially corrosive and/or flammable. During an inspection, EPA also discovered large spills and residue buildup at the main production facility that could not be identified by HPI.

In addition to immediate cleanup of releases, EPA is ordering the facility to immediately restrict access to areas with releases of solid or hazardous waste, to post warning signs at location entrances, to immediately ship all hazardous wastes to an appropriate hazardous waste disposal facility, and to develop a work plan that outlines field sampling and quality assurance measures to determine off-site migration.

HPI, a 20-year-old pesticide registrant and producer, has two pesticide-producing establishments and six storage warehouses in the St. Joseph, Mo., area. HPI has never applied for a hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposal facility permit.