EPA Requires Arkansas Midland Railroad Company to Pay $910K for Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations | US EPA

March 20, 2024

DALLAS, TEXAS (March 20, 2023) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized a settlement with the Arkansas Midland Railroad Company over alleged hazardous waste violations at a private rail track in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The company illegally stored more than 750,000 gallons of highly flammable hazardous waste in rail cars near homes, a school, and waterways. Under the settlement, the company must pay a civil penalty of $910,985. Under direction from EPA, the waste was removed and disposed of in a permitted facility.

“Residents of Hot Springs or any community should not have to live with the threat of toxic material just steps from their homes and schools,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance. “EPA and our partners are here to hold companies accountable when they fail to comply with the hazardous waste regulations that keep people and our natural resources safe from exposure and contamination.”

The waste material, o-Chlorotoluene, was stored in up to 34 unsecured, unsupervised rail cars along Spring Street for at least two years. It is classified as a hazardous waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for its highly flammable and toxic properties. EPA worked to ensure the material was removed and shipped to an appropriate disposal facility while settlement negotiations were still ongoing. Fortunately, no evidence of leaks or exposure was found.

The state of Arkansas discovered the backlog of waste material as part of an investigation of another facility, and referred the case to EPA. The generator of the waste informed EPA of the rail cars in response to EPA’s formal request for information during the investigation.

Under RCRA, EPA and states with delegated authority enforce requirements regarding the safe handling, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous wastes. RCRA requirements and permits are essential to preventing accidental releases and exposures, and costly cleanups.

For more on EPA’s RCRA programs, visit https://www.epa.gov/rcra.

For more on EPA’s work in Arkansas, visit https://www.epa.gov/ar.

Connect with the Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 on Facebook, X, or visit our homepage.