June 08, 2005

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Palo Alto Online

Romic plans big expansion in EPA

Romic Environmental Technologies Corporation, a hazardous waste treatment and recycling firm, is planning a huge expansion in East Palo Alto.

A public workshop on the proposal is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, June 11 at Cesar Chavez Academy cafeteria, 2450 Ralmar St., East Palo Alto. A formal public hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 30, also at the academy by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC).

Romic has proposed to more than double its capacity to treat toxic industrial materials, including paint thinner, antifreeze, paints, oils, inks and adhesives.

Drum and bin storage would increase from 139,205 gallons to 317,355 gallons of liquid waste; tank storage would be increased by 50 percent, with four times as much solid-waste material also planned for the site.

Romic also wants to convert 50 existing tanks to handle hazardous waste and increase its number of tanks and treatment units.

New treatment processes -- such as crushing contaminated drums, washing contaminated tanker trucks, squeezing water from contaminated sludge for transportation to a landfill and depressurizing aerosol cans -- are also being requested.

Romic has been operating at the East Palo Alto site since 1963, but has had a history of major violations. On April 7, the company reached an $849,500 settlement with the state Attorney General's office for violations going back to 1999 at both the East Palo Alto and Redwood City Romic facilities.

The violations included storing hazardous waste in unauthorized containers in unauthorized areas; treating hazardous waste in unauthorized areas and modifying equipment without prior authority from the California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC), which monitors and regulates hazardous waste facilities, according to agency documents.

The DTSC is currently reviewing Romic's Draft Hazardous Waste Facility Permit and Draft Environmental Impact Report.

Copies of the Draft Permit, Draft EIR and Health Risk Assessment are on view at the East Palo Alto Public Library, 2415 University Ave. East Palo Alto.