University of Kansas must pay $80,000 in EPA settlment

The University of Kansas will have to pay more than $80,000 after being cited for violations related to improper handling of hazardous waste, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The punishment follows a legal settlement between the university and the EPA. The university will pay a $39,431 civil penalty for the violations and will have to spend $41,585 on a new program involving data collection, evaluation and additional training for those who work in all 301 labs at the university that handle hazardous waste. The university allegedly failed to determine whether some waste produced by the school was hazardous; allowed incompatible chemicals to be stored on the same shelf; and operated as a hazardous waste treatment facility without a permit.