Department Of Energy Contractors Fined for PCB-Handling Mistakes

The Environmental Protection Agency said on Thursday that two contractors working for the Department of Energy will each pay penalties due to improper handling of an electrical transformer that was contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Fluor-Hanford and Twin City Metals will pay a combined total of $84,800 to the EPA for their negligence that led to workers being exposed to the cancer-causing PCBs.

Fluor-Hanford, Incorporated is based in Richland, Washington, and is part of the Fluor Corporation, which has been working as a government contractor since the 1950's. Fluro-Handford was working for the Department of Energy at their Hanford site, a 586-square mile site on the Columbia River in Washington State. In 2006, Fluor-Hanford arranged for Twin City Metals (TCM), a metal recycling company also based in Richland, to take 60 transformers from the Hanford nuclear site to TCM for processing and sale of the now-scrap metal.

One of the transformers, however, had nearly 50 gallons of fluid that contained PCBs, which were used up until the late 1970's for insulating power transformers. PCBs are known to cause cancer in animals and studies of workers exposed to the substance have shown that rare cancers occur in the liver. The number of incidence of cancer in PCB-exposed workers has given the EPA cause to list PCB as a probable carcinogen and PCBs are now banned in the US. Furthermore, PCB exposure can have adverse effects on reproductive, immune and endocrine systems, as well as neurological effects.

The PCB-contaminated fluid in the transformer spilled the next day at TCM. Some of the fluid spilled onto the ground and the rest fell onto equipment and surrounding surfaces. TCM alerted Fluor-Hanford to the spill, and the EPA has determined that Fluor-Hanford did nothing immediately to contain the spill.

The next day, the transformer was taken by truck to another metal recycler, Joseph Simon and Sons, Incorporated in Tacoma, Washington, where additional workers were then exposed to the PCBs.

It was not until a week later, when TCM received the results of samples taken from the spill site, showing that indeed PCBs were present, that Fluor-Hanford took corrective actions. Fluor -Hanford proceeded to clean up the soil and area of the spill at TCM, as well as took actions at the homes of the TCM and JS&S employees that were exposed to the fluid.

Mike Russell, the EPA Director of the Compliance and Enforcement Office in Seattle said in the EPA's press release, "Risks to human health and the environment could've been greatly reduced, at a fraction of the cost, if this was handled correctly in the first place. By carefully handling all transformers, and diligently cleaning-up any spills that occur as quickly as possible, damage can be prevented and costly cleanups avoided."

Both Fluor and Twin City Metals will each pay penalties for their negligence and mishandling of the transformer and the resulting spill. Fluor will pay $54,800, and TCM will pay $30,000. Each company has thirty days to pay the fines.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency, US Department of Energy, Fluor Corporation