Company Illegally Bypassed Treatment and Discharged Industrial Wastes into Nashville Sewers

Allwaste Onsite, doing business as Onsite Environmental (Onsite Environmental), recently entered two guilty pleas in relation to federal Clean Water Act violations. As part of the plea, Onsite Environmental has agreed to pay a fine of $512,000 and serve a three-year term of probation that requires Onsite Environmental to properly treat industrial wastes according to a detailed facility operating plan.

 

According to court documents, Onsite Environmental operated a facility in Nashville, Tennessee, that treated liquid non-hazardous industrial wastes before discharging them into the sewer. Onsite Environmental had obtained a pretreatment permit from the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro) under an approved Clean Water Act pretreatment program. The permit required Onsite Environmental to remove pollutants in the industrial wastes prior to discharging them into the sewer.

 

However, from Dec. 5-22, 2022, and again from Jan. 4-17, 2023, Onsite Environmental employees knowingly bypassed treatment processes and discharged untreated or partially untreated industrial wastes into the Metro sewer system in direct violation of the pretreatment permit.

 

U.S. District Court Judge Aleta A. Trauger for the Middle District of Tennessee accepted the guilty pleas. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 15.

 

Acting Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire for the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.

 

The EPA Criminal Investigation Division and EPA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

 

Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie N. Toussaint for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.

 

 

Despite notifications from the Washington Department of Ecology for nearly a year, HF Sinclair and Tesoro improperly stored large volumes of dangerous waste at their Anacortes refineries in unsafe ways that put the environment at serious risk. Ecology issued separate notices of penalties to the refineries for violating dangerous waste laws. HF Sinclair was penalized $1,303,000 and Tesoro was penalized $1,397,000.

 

Dangerous waste is material that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or toxic, and it can harm human health and the environment if it is not properly managed. HF Sinclair and Tesoro generate wastewater from their refining processes, which is treated at their respective on-site wastewater treatment facilities. Each facility was penalized for improper management of dangerous wastes at their wastewater treatment facilities.

 

In September 2023, oily process wastewater overflowed into a spill containment area at the HF Sinclair refinery. The containment area is intended to capture spills of non-hazardous wastewater and was not designed to be a dangerous waste storage area. Sludge that was dangerous waste settled out of the untreated wastewater. The sludge remained for 11 months before HF Sinclair ultimately removed and disposed of it in nine 20-yard containers. After removing the sludge, the single liner for the containment area was found to be ripped. The lengthy delay in cleaning up the spill unacceptably increased risks that the material could have escaped into the environment. 

 

Tesoro’s penalty is related to its handling of the Marathon Anacortes Refinery’s neutralization pond, a 150,000-gallon artificial basin that held spent sulfuric acid from its industrial process. The wastewater was frequently about the same pH as battery acid, qualifying it as a dangerous waste (pH of 2 or less at any given time). The acidity in the pond needed to be controlled to prevent potential damage to the pond’s liner and a potential toxic release. Inspectors flagged the problem in 2022 and later began requiring regular testing of the pond, which revealed that dangerous acidity was an ongoing problem. It took Tesoro nine months to implement an alternative management method for the waste, increasing the risks for a potential release from the pond. Tesoro is working with Ecology to remove the remaining residue in the pond.

 

“HF Sinclair and Tesoro are two of the largest industrial facilities in the state, and safely handling millions of gallons of hazardous materials every day is their core business. They have the expertise, the resources, and the responsibility to extend that level of attention to their waste,” said Tom Buroker, director of Ecology’s Northwest Region. “In both instances, the refineries improperly held large amounts of dangerous waste over an extended period of time, which compounded the risk of serious harm to people and the environment.”

 

Ecology is continuing to investigate the environmental impacts from the mishandling of the dangerous wastes. HF Sinclair and Tesoro each have 30 days to pay the penalties or appeal to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.

 

The EPA has settled with CEMEX Construction Materials Pacific, LLC over Clean Water Act violation claims at its sand and gravel mine located in Wadsworth, Nevada, on the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Reservation. CEMEX will pay $310,000 in penalties and work to restore floodplain and habitat within the Truckee River Watershed. 

 

"We do not allow the dumping of industrial waste on Tribal nations. EPA is taking this action to ensure that wastewater discharges do not degrade our precious water resources,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Region Administrator Josh F.W. Cook. "Through the agreement announced today, CEMEX will take the necessary steps to protect the Truckee River and the people of Nevada.”

 

EPA found CEMEX violated federal law by discharging mine pit wastewater and industrial stormwater into the Truckee River without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe does not own or operate the CEMEX mine.

 

In November 2020, EPA issued an Administrative Order on Consent that required CEMEX to cease all illegal discharges, apply for required NPDES permits, and establish measures to prevent and reduce impacts of an emergency discharge.

 

As part of the agreement announced recently, CEMEX will work with the Truckee River Watershed Council to restore the floodplain and riparian habitat along the lower reach of Cold Creek between the mouth of Coldstream Canyon and the confluence with Donner Creek, a tributary to the Truckee River. This area is located southeast of Truckee, California. 

 

This project will restore wetland habitat, stabilize streambanks, and restore floodplains in areas previously impacted by gravel mining, forest roads, and logging. When completed, the effort will have created approximately 3.2 acres of new floodplains and increase riparian habitat acreage.

 

 

EPA ordered three businesses in Chicago, Illinois, to immediately stop selling unregistered pesticide products. The stores are Rogers Park Fruit Market, A Plus Store and Mazuma Trading Co.

 

“This action highlights our commitment to safeguarding human health and the environment,” said EPA Region 5 Administrator Anne Vogel. “All businesses must comply with pesticide product standards to ensure the integrity and safety of their products.”

 

Rogers Park Fruit Market is a retail store at 7401 N. Clark St. EPA alleges the company distributed or sold nine unregistered pesticide products: Mybry...Help 32oz, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Fresca Amanecer 1L, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Energia Naranja 1L, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Mar Fresco 1L, Clorox 500mL, Clorox 930mL, Clorox 1.89L, Clorox 3.8L, and Axion 500g.

 

A Plus Store is at 4445 N Sheridan Road. EPA alleges the company distributed or sold eight unregistered pesticides: Fabuloso Alternativa Al Cloro Fresca Primavera 1L, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Fresco Amanecer 1L, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Energia Naranja 1L, Fabuloso Ultra Frescura Mar Fresco 1L, Green Leaf Powder Cockroach and Ant Killing Bait 5g, Clorox 500mL, Clorox 1.89L, and Clorox 3.8L.

 

EPA alleges that distributor Mazuma Trading Co. supplied some of the unregistered products to the other businesses. Many of the unregistered products appear to have been imported from Mexico. The product labels featured antiviral and antibacterial claims, which means they are considered pesticides.

 

Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, all pesticides distributed or sold in the United States are required to be registered by EPA to ensure products perform as intended and will not harm people, non-target species, or the environment when used as directed.

 

 

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General, Juan Carlos Salazar, has advanced key organizational priorities through a series of high-profile speaking engagements and bilateral meetings during a four-day mission to Singapore. The mission reinforced partnerships critical to achieving ICAO’s strategic goals and building training capacity to assure the sustainable growth of the region’s air connectivity.

 

Mr. Salazar delivered three major addresses that underscored ICAO's strategic messaging on safety, security and workforce development. He opened the Global Aviation and Maritime Symposium on 14 July, alongside International Maritime Organization Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez, addressing more than 500 delegates from over 80 countries on common challenges. On 15 July, Mr. Salazar delivered the keynote address at the 3rd APAC Summit for Aviation Safety, emphasizing ICAO's Global Aviation Safety Plan as the pathway to zero commercial aviation fatalities by 2030. 

 

The following day, the Secretary General officially opened the inaugural ICAO Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Training Symposium alongside Singapore Senior Minister of State Sun Xueling, highlighting regional training cooperation as essential to sustainable aviation development.

 

Secretary General Salazar's bilateral meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong was a particularly significant opportunity for enhancing cooperation to strengthen rules-based frameworks and ensuring a safe, connected, and sustainable global transport system, while advancing Singapore as both an aviation hub and key partner in advancing regional air navigation systems. The meeting was also attended by IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.

 

Mr. Salazar conducted a bilateral meeting with the Acting Transport Minister of Singapore, Jeffrey Siow, to identify and discuss matters of mutual interest with Singapore's transport leadership. He also met with Mr. Han Kok Juan, Director-General of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.

 

The Secretary General also held several bilateral meetings, including with Hon. Bimal Rathnayake, Sri Lanka's Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports and Civil Aviation and H.E. Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Transport and Logistic Services.

 

The speaking engagements and bilateral meetings collectively reinforced ICAO's core advocacy messaging around regional partnership and capacity building. 

 

Throughout his activities, Mr. Salazar emphasized that achieving zero aviation fatalities requires collaborative stakeholder engagement, also highlighted workforce development as fundamental to sustainable aviation growth.

 

He positioned ICAO's strategic priorities for 2026-2050 within a framework of strengthened multilateral cooperation and regional capacity building.

 

Mr. Salazar was accompanied throughout his mission by the Director of the Air Navigation Bureau, Mrs. Michele Merkle, ICAO’s Regional Director for the Asia and Pacific (APAC) region, Mr. Tao Ma, and the Deputy Director of the Capacity Development and Implementation Bureau, Mr. Miguel Marin.