EPA finds hazardous waste violations at UMKC

LENEXA, Kan. (AP) - The University of Missouri-Kansas City will pay a $23,679 civil penalty as part of a settlement reached with the Environmental Protection Agency for violating federal regulations involving the storage and handling of hazardous waste.

The EPA announced Tuesday in a news release that inspections at Missouri-Kansas City's midtown campus and its School of Dentistry found the university did not properly determine if two solid waste streams contained hazardous waste. The federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requires organizations that produce solid waste to make that determination and manage the hazardous waste properly until disposal, the EPA said.

Inspectors visited the Missouri-Kansas City campus in March 2013 and the School of Dentistry in February 2014. The settlement was filed Sept. 30.

The EPA office in Lenexa, Kansas, said the university allowed hazardous waste to accumulate in open, unlabeled containers; lacked complete training and contingency plans; and didn't work to reduce the possibility of fire, explosion or accidental release of hazardous waste. The university will be required to submit quarterly reports for one year to show it is complying with federal hazardous waste storage requirements.

The settlement also requires Missouri-Kansas City to upgrade its hazardous material inventory system and improve its ability to track, process and maintain disposal records. A report on the Supplemental Environmental Project detailing that effort must be submitted within six months. The effort is expected to cost about $32,000.

The university said in a statement Tuesday the violations were resolved in a cooperative manner with the EPA and will allow the school to track its hazardous waste with current best processes and procedures.

"The University of Missouri-Kansas City is committed to careful stewardship of the health and safety of our students, faculty and staff, and our community. We strive to maintain a high level of safety and appreciate the work of the EPA in helping us understand and address areas of potential concern," the statement said.

The EPA said by agreeing to the settlement, the university is in compliance with all the requirements of the federal law.