Source: Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, TX), February 2, 2014
Posted on: http://envfpn.advisen.com
A fire at the tire recycling plant in August 2012 discharged waste from thousands of pounds of tires and crumb rubber and thousands of gallons of oil into the soil, public records show.
But the Tire Recycling & Processing plant at the city’s industrial park failed to report how it managed the waste and remediated the soil, public records show.
This is contained in findings of fact that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality noted in its December 2013 proposal to assess an administrative penalty against the firm of nearly $79,000. The agency cites violations of state laws and rules arising from the 2012 fire that occurred by spontaneous combustion not long after the firm opened its doors for business.
The firm has requested a hearing.
Firm representatives have not responded to requests for comment.
According to the findings of fact regarding the 2012 fire, TCEQ noted that the plant did not provide documentation within 30 working days of the fire of its response on the discharge of combustion byproducts of approximately 13,500 pounds of tires, 32,000 pounds of crumb rubber and an estimated 4,550 gallons of oil resulting from the fire.
The findings also state that the plant failed to comply with the general prohibition on outdoor burning and the outdoor deposition of any material capable of igniting spontaneously.
Furthermore, it failed to design the scrap tire storage site in accordance with all fire codes and other codes, and failed to ensure that piles of crumb rubber were stored in a manner that did not constitute a fire hazard, according to the findings.
“Specifically, 68,000 pounds of crumb rubber were being stored in super sacks at the facility; a super sack of crumb rubber spontaneously combusted,” resulting in the fire, the findings state.
TCEQ said that the plant also failed to adhere to the capacity of the facility and that it had been exceeded by approximately 73,244 pounds. It also failed to retain manifests for used or scrap tires or tire piles delivered to or removed from the facility, TCEQ said.
The state agency also found that the facility received and stored 25.45 tons of asphalt waste without authorization.
The plant was directed to conduct a cleanup of the discharge, including remediation, and to provide TCEQ with a detailed report documenting cleanup of the discharge from the fire, including documentation supporting the adequacy of response actions and a site assessment documenting remediation and proper disposal of the impacted soil.
The findings are in addition to another investigation that TCEQ is conducting concerning reports from Jan. 13 this year when several people in the vicinity of the plant complained of dizziness, watery eyes, nausea, and itching throats amid reports of a strong smell of gas. City and Cameron County emergency responders determined that the smell of gas emanated from the tire plant.
The Harlingen Soccer Complex on East Harrison Avenue is less than two miles from the plant.
TCEQ spokesman Terry Clawson told the Valley Morning Star that the state environmental agency anticipates that the report of its investigation into the Jan. 13 event will be final and available by the end of this month. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration also is conducting an investigation into plant operations and possible impact on health and safety of employees, the Star learned.