Mass. AG settles with Safety-Kleen Systems over transported waste oil

BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a $100,000 settlement on Friday with a waste transportation company that allegedly transported waste oil from unregistered facilities and submitted inaccurate reports to the state.

Safety-Kleen Systems Inc., a Texas-based company operating in Massachusetts, allegedly transported hazardous waste from facilities that did not first receive legally required identification numbers. Safety-Kleen also allegedly submitted inaccurate electronic monthly operating reports to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).

While Safety-Kleen is a licensed hazardous waste transporter, it allegedly transported the waste for facilities that were not licensed to generate such waste. Massachusetts law requires that facilities generating hazardous waste must first receive an identification number from the Environmental Protection Agency or the state of Massachusetts.

"This company allegedly skirted laws intended to protect the environment by accepting and transporting hazardous waste from unregistered facilities," Coakley said. "Under this settlement, the company must pay a civil penalty and is also required to take steps to ensure that facilities it accepts waste from are registered."

Under the terms of the settlement, Safety-Kleen must pay a $100,000 civil penalty to the state. Safety-Kleen must pay $60,000 within 15 days of the final settlement, with the remaining amount of $40,000 suspended pending its compliance with environmental laws. Safety-Kleen agreed to take steps to ensure it is accepting waste only from registered facilities.