Firm Fined Over Toxic Waste Violations
A Van Nuys defense and aerospace contractor has been fined $19,000 for six violations of state hazardous waste regulations, including improperly labeling drums of waste and building new storage tanks without a permit, state health officials said Thursday.
The fine against Marquardt Co. stemmed from a December, 1988, inspection of its 16555 Saticoy St. plant by the state Health Services Department. The firm uses a variety of toxic and flammable chemicals, including fuel used to test rocket engines.
Marquardt stirred intense community opposition in 1988 after it won a state grant to test a process for incinerating toxic materials at its plant. The firm canceled the test burn after picketing and protests by local residents and politicians.
The company, which has operated under a temporary state permit since 1981, is seeking a permanent license to continue manufacturing operations. At a public meeting Wednesday night, about 45 environmental activists and residents urged regulators to conduct health-risk studies and hire independent consultants to conduct environmental studies before granting the long-term permit.
Health officials announced the violations at the meeting. Marquardt agreed to pay the fine four months ago.
Health Services Department spokesman Richard Varenchik said Marquardt’s violations included removing an underground storage tank without submitting a proper plan to state officials. The firm also failed to properly seal two 55-gallon drums and to label other containers of hazardous wastes. A Marquardt spokesman said the unsealed drums held waste oil.
“These are not real serious offenses, labels on drums and things like that. They are more or less the routine things you find at places like this,” Varenchik said.
Marquardt manufactures steering rockets for the space shuttle and ramjet engines for the National Aerospace Plane project, aimed at developing a commercial jet that can fly 10 times faster and three times higher than existing aircraft.
The company also manufactures military bombs, including parts for the Navy’s Bigeye chemical bomb. U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said last week that he is preparing to put all U.S. chemical weapons production facilities in mothballs, but Marquardt officials declined to comment on when they may stop making Bigeye components.
Among other chemicals, the company uses trichloroethane, a toxic solvent, and flammable acetone and isopropyl alcohol. Residents at Wednesday’s meeting worried that such materials could be ignited if an aircraft taking off or landing at nearby Van Nuys Airport were to crash.
