Owens-Brockway and Univar Solutions fined over $158K for hazardous waste violations
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced settlements with Owens-Brockway Glass Container Inc. and Univar Solutions USA, LLC for violations of hazardous waste regulations at their respective facilities in Tracy and Fresno, California. Owens-Brockway, which manufactures glass containers, was found to have committed multiple violations at its Tracy facility during a January 2024 inspection. These included failure to properly identify hazardous waste, minimize releases to the environment, maintain a current contingency plan, and keep training records. The company agreed to pay a $47,836 penalty and has returned to compliance.
Univar Solutions, a chemical blender serving the agriculture industry, was cited for operating without a permit to store hazardous waste beyond the 90-day limit at its Fresno facility. This violation was identified during a December 2022 inspection. The company agreed to pay a $110,801 penalty and has also returned to compliance under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
What people are saying
In a recent quote, Josh F.W. Cook, EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator, said, “The improper management of dangerous substances poses a clear risk to public safety. EPA is upholding the law and holding companies accountable, and we’re ensuring communities in the Central Valley are made safer as a result.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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