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Department of Ecology News Release - January 29, 2007
07-016
SPOKANE - The Aircraft Wheel and Brake division of Goodrich Corporation will pay a total of nearly $510,000 in fines as part of two settlement agreements with environmental agencies over disputes relating to water-quality, hazardous waste and air quality violations.
The enforcement settlements between Goodrich and the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) and the Spokane County Air Pollution Control Authority (SCAPCA) will result in improved environmental operations at the Spokane aerospace supply contractor. Goodrich has been fully cooperating with the two agencies on carrying out the settlements.
Goodrich manufactures airplane brake pads on Westbow Road, west of Spokane.
Ecology's water quality program issued a fine of $150,000, and Ecology's hazardous waste and toxics reduction program issued a fine of $110,000, for a total of $260,000. Some 75 percent of the Ecology fines may be funneled into local environmental improvement projects.
Ecology conducted several inspections in 2005 and 2006, finding that Goodrich had generated large quantities of hazardous waste and discharged some of it into the sewer collection system, avoiding proper treatment and disposal requirements.
"Reaching agreement on how to move forward to protect the environment is a major milestone, and we look forward to an improved working relationship between Goodrich and environmental regulators," said Grant Pfeifer, who manages Ecology's Spokane office.
SCAPCA fined the company $249,092 for air quality permit violations. In late 2005, SCAPCA learned that "process water" was being burned in the thermal oxidizer at Goodrich since 2001. Test results in 2006 showed cyanide concentrations were high enough to classify the water as a hazardous waste. The facility does not meet the rigorous requirements that apply to hazardous waste incinerators.
"Therefore, our settlement agreement with the company requires them to stop incinerating hazardous or dangerous waste," said SCAPCA Director Bill Dameworth. "However, results from an independent emissions stack test show that the cyanide emissions during the test met Washington state limits designed to protect human health."
A large portion of SCAPCA's penalty will be used to establish three new air monitoring sites in Spokane County. These additional data will help the agency assess the overall air quality throughout the county.
Goodrich discharged to the sewer system waste water from a floor sump in the primary manufacturing building that contained hazardous waste. Ecology requested that Goodrich stop this discharge in April 2005. The company also discharged wastewater that contained hazardous waste from its utility building. Ecology requested they stop this discharge in February 2006. Goodrich complied with both requests.
The wastewater that was discharged to the sewer system contained benzene and other regulated toxic chemicals. Ecology is not aware of any public exposure to the benzene at the Goodrich plant. The settlement ensures that the company will properly dispose of hazardous wastes in the future, notify Ecology and local authorities if any hazardous wastes are accidentally discharged, and comply with specific regulations that apply to companies that generate large quantities of hazardous waste.
In addition to the fines, Ecology is requiring Goodrich to complete engineering reports that will direct the company's environmental improvement operations, properly treat and dispose of all dangerous wastes, and work closely with Ecology on the facility's environmental improvements.
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Contact: Jani Gilbert, Ecology, 509-329-3495; cell 509-990-9177 Lisa Woodard, SCAPCA, 509-477-4727, ext. 115
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
