Lab Penalized For Hazardous Waste Many Of The Federal Fines Against Ineel Concern Test Reactor Area Storage Tanks

The state on Tuesday announced it was proposing $892,725 in penalties for 135 alleged hazardous waste violations at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory.

The Idaho Division of Environmental Quality said it issued the U.S. Department of Energy a notice of violation on Monday stemming from a routine annual inspection at the INEEL in November. And the federal agency took the notice seriously.

“I’m disappointed that still we apparently have not met our goal of total environmental compliance,” John Wilcynski, manager of the Energy Department’s Idaho Operations Office, said in a statement.

“One of our goals when we consolidated five INEEL contracts into one three years ago was to get a firmer grip on compliance issues. We are seeing major progress in this area, but this fine is a big disappointment. The goal and intention of DOE is total compliance and zero violations.”

Wilcynski also said if the alleged violations are true and occurred under the INEEL’s current contractor, Lockheed Martin Idaho Technologies Co., the company will pay any fines.

“Where DOE has made mistakes, we as an agency will assume responsibility,” he said.

Lockheed Martin Idaho said most of the issues in the notice of violation have been discussed with the state before, and none poses a threat to the health and safety of personnel or any immediate threat to the environment.

And Dave Pisarski, chief of the Division of Environmental Quality’s compliance assurance bureau, acknowledged the INEEL and its contractors “have made significant improvements since our November inspection.”

More than half the alleged problems and $544,600 of the proposed penalties are related to management of hazardous waste stored in tanks at the Test Reactor Area since 1995.

Saying “an unfortunate cascade effect appears to have developed,” Pisarski said waste in the tanks was not tested to determine proper treatment and disposal methods, then the waste was mismanaged when water was added to mercury-contaminated sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide in the tanks. That caused the waste to become more corrosive.

As a result, the tanks were weakened and began leaking, Pisarski said.

“To further complicate matters, the waste and the wastewater - over 2 million pounds total - was removed from the tanks and placed in an unlined leaching pond that wasn’t appropriate for this waste,” he said.

Twenty-five other alleged violations and $162,700 in proposed penalties relate to mismanagement of hazardous waste in removing mercury from contaminated materials. And $122,125 in penalties are proposed for the INEEL’s alleged failure to determine if various wastes are hazardous.

“This is the most basic of violations and we are determined to ensure that the facility makes accurate hazardous waste determinations part of its standard operating procedures,” Pisarski said.

The INEEL has 15 days to arrange for a meeting with state officials on the notice of violation.