A Union City pipe manufacture has been ordered to pay $158,000 for improperly handling hazardous waste, according to media reports.
The Fremont Argus reports that the Environmental Protection Agency fined U.S. Pipe, located at 1295 Whipple Rd., after an inspection last year during which the agency found dust containing lead and cadmium.
Known as “baghouse dust,” the waste can be toxic to humans and threatened worker safety, the newspaper reports.
U.S. Pipe was cited because it violated a federal act that requires hazardous waste to be kept in closed containers and labeled as such.
According to the Argus, the local pipe manufacturer has since removed the waste and contamination and trained staff in proper hazardous waste management.