DALLAS (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Oct. 25 that Macy’s Retail Holdings Inc. (Macy’s) will pay $375,000, correct violations and develop an environmental training program for employees after allegations of hazardous waste regulation violations.
“EPA takes hazardous waste regulations seriously, and we appreciate companies taking responsibility to correct violations,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt said. “Appropriately, managing hazardous waste from ‘cradle-to-grave’ is vital to protecting people’s health and the environment.”
According to EPA, Macy’s violated the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) between 2012 and 2015. The RCRA deals with how companies must handle hazardous and solid wastes. Macy’s specifically failed to notify the EPA and state authorities of the thousands of pounds of hazardous waste at 44 Macy’s locations. The company generated more than 269,168 pounds of hazardous waste, EPA says.
“We appreciate EPA’s willingness to use our suggestion and offer Macy’s the opportunity for a supplemental environmental project involving compliance training instead of simply a penalty,” said Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director Scott Thompson. “The Macy’s settlement highlights the importance of states and EPA working together on common-sense approaches that respect the needs of businesses, while still protecting public health.”