A Brooklyn Park pharmaceuticals plant in Anne Arundel is not meeting initial federally mandated deadlines to remove hazardous materials, state and federal officials said.
Consolidated Pharmaceuticals Group failed not only to remove a tank leaking acid by Nov. 2, but also to have a qualified project manager in charge of the cleanup on site by Nov. 6 at its 6110 Robinwood Road building, according to a letter from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and state officials.
It was unknown Friday is the project manager has been hired.
The company has until Tuesday to develop a cleanup plan to remove more than 100 tanks of acids, alcohols and antibiotics ? some of which are corroded, leaking and creating a fire hazard ? from a building with a faulty fire prevention system. If a plan is not created, the company could face penalties.
“They were not being cooperative,” said Horacio Tablada, Maryland Department of the Environment?s director of waste management, on Thursday. MDE is working with EPA on the matter.
As of Friday afternoon, at least 50 drums remained on the site, said inspectors also found 25 more drums of an unknown substance, said MDE spokesman Robert Ballinger.
Contractors were removing the material, Ballinger said.
According to the EPA letter, company attorney Charles Schaller said the tank could not be removed by Oct. 31 and was given until Nov. 2.
But when inspectors found the tank was still on site, Schaller said the tank would not be removed “until he speaks with the EPA regarding the sampling” of the tank, according to the letter.
EPA representatives would not comment on the letter or the case.
The EPA has said the tank was registered as containing hydrochloric acid, but tests found it also contained sulfuric acid.
The company told inspectors Thursday that a contractor would remove the tank and another problematic tank of acid, by Monday, Ballinger said.
“We want to see the action, so we plan to go back on Tuesday to make sure they keep their promises,” said Ballinger, because Monday was a federal holiday.
Schaller did not return calls Friday and has not returned calls for comment since the investigation became public last month.
POSSIBLE PENALTY
If Consolidated Pharmaceuticals does not file a cleanup plan by Nov. 13, the EPA will seek an injunction and remove the chemicals itself, charging the company up to three times the cost of the cleanup.
Not complying with the EPA?s deadline could mean a $33,000 daily penalty for the company.
