LeRoy Howell of Kamiah, Idaho will pay $32,882, about £21,000, to settle ‘alleged oil disposal and cleanup violations’ according to a Consent Agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EPA documented the violations at Howell’s eleven acre scrap equipment yard, which is within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation.

In 2006 inspectors worked with the Nez Perce tribe and found several violations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at Howell’s facility located near Seven Mile Creek, including:

· Improperly labelled used oil containers

· Rusting containers

· Evidence of oil leaking into the soil

Howell has agreed to clean up oil contamination on the ground and to bring his operations into compliance with regulations.

Ed Kowalski, director of the Office of Compliance and Enforcement at EPA’s Seattle office said: “Operating a scrap yard and keeping large equipment requires a certain amount of housekeeping.”

Luke Walsh

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