STATE OF INDIANA

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SS:

BEFORE THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF

 

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COUNTY OF MARION

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

 

COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT

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OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT,

 

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Complainant,

 

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v.

 

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Case No. 2019-26407-H

 

 

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MWS Wood Designs, LLC,

 

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Respondent.

 

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AGREED ORDER

 

Complainant and Respondent desire to settle and compromise this action without hearing or adjudication of any issue of fact or law, and consent to the entry of the following Findings of Fact and Order. Pursuant to Indiana Code (“IC”) 13-30-3-3, entry into the terms of this Agreed Order does not constitute an admission of any violation contained herein. Respondent’s entry into this Agreed Order shall not constitute a waiver of any defense, legal or equitable, which Respondent may have in any future administrative or judicial proceeding, except a proceeding to enforce this order.

 

I. FINDINGS OF FACT

 

1.            Complainant is the Commissioner (“Complainant”) of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (“IDEM”), a department of the State of Indiana created by IC 13-13-1-1.

 

2.            Respondent is MWS Wood Designs, LLC, which owns and operates the facility with Business ID Number 201903041308325, Non-Notifier INX000067869, located at 10811 East 875 North in Odon, Daviess County, Indiana (“Site”).

 

3.            IDEM has jurisdiction over the parties and the subject matter of this action.

 

4.            Pursuant to IC 13-30-3-3, on January 8, 2020, IDEM issued a Notice of Violation (“NOV”) via UPS to:

 

MWS Wood Designs, LLC

Attn: Marvin E. Wittmer, Principal Member and Registered Agent

Joyce A. Wittmer, Principal Member

10716 East 875 North

Odon, Indiana 47562

 

5.            During an investigation and a record review conducted by an IDEM representative on August 20, 2019, the following violations were found:

 

a.         Pursuant to 329 Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 3.1-1-10 and 329 IAC 3.1-1-11(c), every hazardous waste generator, transporter, or owner or operator of a hazardous waste facility shall notify the commissioner of its hazardous waste activity on the approved forms.

 

As noted during the August 20, 2019 inspection, Respondent failed to notify the Commissioner of hazardous waste generator activities.

 

On or before February 3, 2020, Respondent obtained an EPA ID Number.

 

b.         Pursuant to IC 13-22-4-3.1(b), a hazardous waste small quantity generator (SQG), i.e., a person that generates, in any one or more calendar months of a calendar year:

 

a)         more than one hundred (100) kilograms but less than one thousand (1,000) kilograms of hazardous waste;

b)         less than one (1) kilogram of acute hazardous waste; or

c)         less than one hundred (100) kilograms of material from the cleanup spillage of acute hazardous waste; or

 

accumulates at least one thousand (1,000) kilograms of hazardous waste or less than one (1) kilogram of acute hazardous waste shall, before March 1 of each year, submit to the department on forms provided by the department, a report that summarizes the person's hazardous waste shipments during the previous calendar year.

 

A review of IDEM records pertaining to the Site revealed that, as of August 20, 2019, Respondent had not submitted a 2018 annual manifest report.

 

On or before February 3, 2020, Respondent submitted the 2018 annual manifest report.

 

6.            Orders of the Commissioner are subject to administrative review by the Office of Environmental Adjudication under IC 4-21.5; however, in recognition of the settlement reached, Respondent acknowledges notice of this right and waive any right to administrative and judicial review of this Agreed Order.

 

II. ORDER

 

1.            This Agreed Order shall be effective (“Effective Date”) when it is approved by Complainant or Complainant’s delegate, and has been received by Respondent. This Agreed Order shall have no force or effect until the Effective Date.

 

2.            Respondent shall comply with the statutes, rules, and permit conditions listed in the findings of fact above.

 

3.            Respondent is assessed and agrees to pay a civil penalty of Seven Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($7,200).  Said penalty amount shall be due and payable to the “Environmental Management Special Fund” in twelve (12) monthly installments.  The monthly installment payments shall be Six Hundred Dollars ($600) each.  The first installment shall be due within thirty (30) days of the Effective Date and the remaining installment payments shall be made every 30 days thereafter.  Interest shall accrue on unpaid amounts at the rate established by IC 24-4.6-1-101.

 

4.            Civil penalties are payable by check to the “Environmental Management Special Fund.” Checks shall include the Case Number of this action and shall be mailed to:

 

Indiana Department of Environmental Management

Accounts Receivable

IGCN, Room 1340

100 North Senate Avenue

Indianapolis, IN 46204

 

5.            In the event that the monies due to IDEM pursuant to this Agreed Order are not paid on or before their Due Date, Respondent shall pay interest on the unpaid balance at the rate established by IC 24-4.6-1. The interest shall be computed as having accrued from the Due Date until the date that Respondent pays any unpaid balance. Such interest shall be payable to the “Environmental Management Special Fund,” and shall be payable to IDEM in the manner specified in Paragraph 4 above.

 

6.            Signatories to this Agreed Order certify that they are fully authorized to execute this Agreed Order and legally bind the party they represent.

 

7.            This Agreed Order shall apply to and be binding upon Respondent and all successors and assigns. Respondent shall provide a copy of this Agreed Order, if in force, to any subsequent owners, successors, or assigns before ownership rights are transferred.

 

8.            No change in ownership, corporate, or partnership status of Respondent shall in any way alter Respondent’s status or responsibilities under this Agreed Order.

 

9.            Respondent shall ensure that all contractors, firms, and other persons performing work under this Agreed Order comply with the terms of this Agreed Order.

 

10.         In the event that any terms of this Agreed Order are found to be invalid, the remaining terms shall remain in full force and effect and shall be construed and enforced as if this Agreed Order did not contain the invalid terms.

 

11.         This Agreed Order is not and shall not be interpreted to be a permit or a modification of an existing permit. This Agreed Order, and IDEM’s review or approval of any submittal made by Respondent pursuant to this Agreed Order, shall not in any way relieve Respondent of the obligation to comply with the requirements of any applicable permits or any applicable Federal or State laws or regulations.

 

12.         Complainant does not, by its approval of this Agreed Order, warrant or aver in any manner that Respondent’s compliance with any aspect of this Agreed Order will result in compliance with the provisions of any permit, order, or any applicable Federal or State law or regulation. Additionally, IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of Respondent’s efforts to comply with this Agreed Order.

 

13.         Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent or limit IDEM’s rights to obtain penalties or injunctive relief under any applicable Federal or State law or regulation, except that IDEM may not, and hereby waives its right to, seek additional civil penalties for the violations specified in the NOV.

 

14.         Nothing in this Agreed Order shall prevent IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf from communicating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) or any other agency or entity about any matters relating to this enforcement action. IDEM or anyone acting on its behalf shall not be held liable for any costs or penalties Respondent may incur as a result of such communications with the U.S. EPA or any other agency or entity.

 

15.         This Agreed Order shall remain in effect until IDEM issues a Resolution of Case letter to Respondent.

 

TECHNICAL RECOMMENDATION:

RESPONDENT:

Department of Environmental Management

 

 

 

By:________________________

By:  _________________________

 

Linda McClure, Section Chief

 

 

Enforcement Section

Printed: ______________________

Office of Land Quality

 

 

Title: ________________________

 

 

Date: _______________

Date: _______________________

 

 

 

 

 

COUNSEL FOR RESPONDENT:

 

 

 

 

 

By: ________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: ______________________

 

APPROVED AND ADOPTED BY THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL

MANAGEMENT THIS

______

DAY OF

________________________, 20_____.

 

 

For the Commissioner:

 

 

 

Signed 3/18/20______

 

Peggy Dorsey, Assistant Commissioner