Opinion ID: 75555
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Consent to the Risks

Text: 75 The RCRA knowing endangerment provision can be affirmatively defended if the conduct charged was consented to by the person endangered and that the danger and conduct charged were reasonably foreseeable hazards of-(A) an occupation, a business, or a profession. 42 U.S.C. § 6928(f)(3). The evidence showed that the plant's environmental violations seriously endangered the employees and were not typical to chlor-alkali plants. Hugh Croom, the plant manager for the LCP chlor-alkali plant in North Carolina, testified that the dangerous conditions in the Brunswick plant were not present in the North Carolina plant because the North Carolina plant had adequate waste treatment equipment and facility maintenance. R16-108-09, 127-29; R19-32-34, 52, 107-09. 110-11. He said that he discussed his concerns regarding the environmental issues, the wastewater treatment system issues, and the dangers to the employees with Randall and with Taylor. R16-129-30. LCP environmental manager Brent Hanson noted that, although covering mercury with water to limit mercury vapors was an accepted practice within the chlor-alkali industry, it was usually practiced in a little more confined manner than the condition of the cellrooms, it was not an industry practice to allow such quantities of mercury to accumulate on the cellroom floors, and he knew of no other chlor-alkali plants that permitted such a condition to exist. R20-145, 153. Dr. Teitelbaum testified that, although he did not think that you can get a zero risk in a chlor-alkali plant, he thought you can make chlor-alkali plants safe so that workers under everyday conditions are extremely unlikely to be hurt. R20-245. 34 76 The employees also did not freely consent to conditions at the plant. They complained to management, including Hansen, Randall, and Taylor, about the dangerous working conditions, and refused to work in the cellrooms. Union representative and former plant employee Jesse Jones testified that LCP suspended nine employees who refused to go underneath the cellroom to repair the pump because of the wastewater on the cellroom floor. R21-138-42. Jones said that he discussed his concerns about the working conditions with Hansen, Randall, and Taylor. R21-138-39, 146-48. Former employee Larry Barwick said that he complained to whoever would listen, including the LCP management, about the fumes 35 and visible mercury in the cell buildings. 36 R20-319-20. He refused to go into the cellrooms, and was once sent home for the day based on his refusal. R20-321. The evidence, therefore, was sufficient to show that the defendants knew that the plant's violations of the CWA and RCRA violations were inevitable, that the plant was incapable of complying with environmental standards, and that the employees were endangered while working within this environment without consenting to the risk.