An Environmental Protect Agency
visit to one of Mare
Island
Allied Defense Recycling, which
dismantles ships, remedied the majority of EPA's concerns, which were spotted
during a May site investigation and fixed by subsequent site visits in June. Other
issues were also remedied, according to an EPA inspection report released in
September and acquired by the Times-Herald this month.
The investigation was launched when
the company's disposal of toxin-laden paint from a ship it dismantled, the
Solon Turman, was called into question by competing, Texas-based ship
dismantler International Shipbreaking, Limited, Ltd. (ISL), according to the
agency report.
Though EPA investigators found
several areas of noncompliance, like barrel alignment, labeling and disposed
material coverage, none rose to the level of imposed fines, according to the
report. The EPA report cited one area of ongoing concern, however.
"During the inspection, EPA
intended to collect paint samples from the areas specified by (International
Shipbreaking, Limited) to confirm the presence of PCBs (toxic chemicals) in
certain areas of the ship's hull. However, (Allied Defense Recycling) had
already removed a majority of the ship's hull by the date of EPA's inspection,"
the report states.
Allied Defense Recycling managing
director Jay Anast said Thursday that he felt EPA's report was "irresponsible"
for making unproven insinuations, and that the company retested paint samples
when concerns first arose, going above and beyond EPA-regulated protocol.
"You can't prove a negative,"
Anast said. "It's impossible for us to respond to that. If we have to
start responding to, that so-and-so said something we can't prove otherwise, that's
really unfair."
Christopher Rollins, a Region 9 EPA
enforcement officer and co-author of Allied Defense Recycling's inspection
report, said Allied Defense Recycling was advised to meet with EPA officials
prior to further ship dismantling, so agency officials might be involved with
the future sampling plans.
Contact staff writer Jessica A. York
at (707) 553-6834 or jyork@timesheraldonline.com.
Source: The Times Herald. By Jessica A. York. 7
October 2011
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