Opinion ID: 75555
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Storage of hazardous materials.

Text: 62 Taylor and Hansen maintain that the accumulation of wastewater on the cellroom floors did not violate federal law because the wastewaters were not stored there for the statutory requisite of 90 days. Croom testified that hazardous wastewater was on the cellroom floors [a]t times, R16-114, and that hazardous materials were shipped, turned over, or treated within 90 days, R19-41. In response to a question as to whether wastewater on the cellroom floors was a regular occurrence in 1992, he responded that it was in both cellrooms in 1992, but when he left it was just mostly in #2. R16-114. Former LCP employee Roger Cooper testified that on 28 June 1993, although wastewater was pumped to the railcars for storage from cellroom two, the cellroom one floor was dry. R19-275-76, 281-82; Govt. Ex. 6-1. He explained that they tried to keep [the wastewater in cellroom one] pumped over to #2 cellroom because of the possibility that water would escape from cellroom one as a result of cracks in its floor. R19-284-85. Dirt dikes were constructed in the cellrooms to prevent the wastewater from leaking, but the dikes were frequently breached. R19-256; R25-26. The cellrooms were often full of water so that the employees had to wade into standing wastewater to repair the pumps. R20-318; R19-205. 63 Hazardous waste generators are permitted to accumulate hazardous waste on-site for 90 days or less without a permit if the waste is placed in tanks visibly marked with [t]he date upon which each period of accumulation begins and clearly labeled as Hazardous Waste. 40 C.F.R. § 262.34(a)(1)(ii), (2), and (3). A tank is a stationary device, designed to contain an accumulation of hazardous waste which is constructed primarily of non-earthen materials . . . which provide structural support. 40 C.F.R. § 260.10. 64 There was no evidence that suggested that the cellrooms, in which earthen berms were constructed to contain the wastewater, were marked with the date of accumulation or labeled as containing hazardous wastes and thus qualified as tanks. The testimony and logs indicate that the wastewater, which may have abated in cellroom one during various periods of time, remained in cellroom two and was present for more than 90 days. Therefore, the evidence was sufficient for the jury to find that the wastewater was improperly stored.