Metals Firm Faces $253,300 EPA Penalty

A metals manufacturing firm specializing in aerospace components is facing a possible $253,300 penalty for improperly storing hazardous waste, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday.

Jeff Zelikson, the EPA’s hazardous waste division director in San Francisco, said the penalty was proposed against Hightower Plating & Manufacturing Corp., in the 200 block of North Glassell Street, which produces washers for the aerospace industry.

A company spokesman said Hightower would have no comment on the proposed penalty.

Hightower, which also is known as Hightower Metal Products, is accused of violating several provisions of the state law which regulates the management of hazardous waste. The violations were found during an inspection of the facility by representatives of the EPA.

The company was cited for numerous violations, including storing hazardous waste without a permit and storing it in improper containers. In addition to the proposed penalty, Hightower must certify that it has corrected all past violations and that current operations comply with all requirements.