Publication Date: Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Noisy protest loosens toxics report
Noisy protest loosens toxics report
(August 31, 2005) Document states Romic committed new violations, despite settlement
by Sue Dremann
A noisy protest by members of an East Palo Alto youth group led to the release of new documents alleging that Romic Environmental Technologies continues to violate state hazardous waste laws.
Romic, a hazardous waste recycling firm in East Palo Alto, has been seeking a renewal and expansion of its operations permit from the state Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). The company has allegedly continued to violate state hazardous waste laws, despite a settlement the company made with the state last April, according to a state inspection report.
At the Aug. 22 protest, members of Youth United for Community Action, an East Palo Alto grass-roots organization that wants Romic to vacate the community, chanted outside the Berkeley office of Mohinder Sandhu, chief of permitting at the DTSC.
The agency is responsible for granting Romic's operating permit.
An argument between members of the youth group and a Highway Patrol officer broke out in the building after youth group representatives were asked to vacate the premises, according to Lily Martin, a youth group member.
Sandhu agreed to meet with the group on the sidewalk, where they handed him 654 petitions from community residents demanding a denial of Romic's permit.
The group demanded that Sandhu sign a statement, promising to include the 654 petitions in the public comments portion of the Draft EIR and Permit. After some wrangling, Sandhu signed the document, according to Martin.
Sandhu then released a copy of the new Romic violations preliminary report to the group.
Serious violations occurred at the East Palo Alto facility between May 25-26 and June 1-2, 2005, the initial inspections report by the Department of Toxic Substances Control noted.
Romic settled a lawsuit with the state on April 6, for $849,500, because of violations dating between 1999 and 2004. Some of the recent violations are similar to those addressed in the court's Stipulated Judgment and Consent Order, which Romic had agreed to correct in April.
The violations include: storage of hazardous waste in permitted tanks in excess of approved maximum capacity; storage of hazardous waste in unauthorized areas; failure to properly manage containers that are not in good condition; unlabeled and open containers and failure to remove spills, leaks and precipitation in secondary containment areas.
As a result of these findings, DTSC is extending Romic's Draft EIR and Permit Comment Period for renewal of its permit by another 30 days, until Sept. 28, Sandhu told the group of protesters.
In a written statement, Steve Petridis, Romic's president and chief executive officer, said, "Romic is committed to full compliance with California's hazardous waste laws and to being a good neighbor to the residents of East Palo Alto. ... In some instances, DTSC found mistakes that the facility has now corrected. In others, we provided additional information we believe will cause DTSC to drop allegations from its final report. In no instances were there any chemical or other releases to the community or the surrounding environment.
"Romic is focused on implementing changes in technology, record-keeping, and housekeeping to ensure both the government and the community are confident in the excellence of our operations. ..."
In their own written statement, the protestors asserted "If these violations do not qualify as 'noncompliance,' then we don't know what does."
Department of Toxic Substances Control officials did not respond to a request for comment before the Weekly's deadline.
Staff Writer Sue Dremann can be e-mailed at sdremann@paweekly.com.
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