UPS, TForce settle pollution allegations in five states

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced June 16 that package delivery companies United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) and TForce Freight Inc. must pay a $3.8 million fine in exchange for the agency dropping administrative claims that they polluted communities in five states with hazardous waste, Reuters reports.

Under the terms of a consent agreement filed at the EPA, UPS and TForce have two years to become compliant with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) at 183 facilities in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. 

The EPA claims that the companies failed to notify environmental regulators they were discarding excessive amounts of hazardous substances for five years beginning in 2015, Reuters reports.

The agency also says that the companies did not prepare accurate manifests that recorded the hazardous waste being processed at their facilities. 

Atlanta-based UPS and TForce, formerly known as UPS Ground Freight, do not admit to the agency’s allegations.

"We have long-standing procedures in place for handling hazardous waste and will take additional steps to further enhance our practices," UPS spokesperson Matthew O'Connor told Reuters.

According to the consent agreement, the shipping companies sort packages and freight that sometimes contain RCRA-regulated substances, including ignitable and corrosive products, at large hubs. Hazardous waste enters the environment when a package is damaged.

Under the deal, the companies will also improve their reporting and provide training and education to their employees on how to package hazardous materials and how to record them.