Company Settles for $250K Over Hazardous Waste Claims at California Facility

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a settlement with a firm over claims of violations of hazardous waste regulations at the company’s facility in Irvine, California.

Edwards Lifesciences LLC will pay a civil penalty of $250,000 and certify it is in full compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

Edwards Lifesciences makes medical devices at its Irvine facility, where it also generates hazardous waste that is temporarily stored on-site. In September 2021, the EPA reportedly inspected the facility and found the company violated air emission standards under the RCRA.

According to the EPA, the company did not follow rules for hazardous waste storage tanks, lacked a proper leak detection and secondary containment system and failed to record daily inspections of a hazardous waste tank. The company also reportedly did not comply with hazardous waste air emissions standards, failing to monitor a tank for fugitive solvent emissions.