Kodak's Rochester facility has a "History of Violations" resulting in clean-ups, fines, and evacuations.

2000-2001

• In July, 2001 Kodak was fined $175,000 by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for not testing and monitoring certain valves and pumps at its Lake Avenue facility for emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Upon inspecting the Rochester facility, the EPA found that part of a system of pipes used to carry hazardous wastes containing VOCs was not being checked for leaks as they should be under environmental and safety standards.²

• In June, 2000 Kodak agreed to pay $51,491 in a settlement with the EPA on charges that they violated federal toxic chemical reporting requirements on eight occasions from 1995 to 1997. Based on an inspection of the Rochester facility in 1998 and information disclosed by Kodak, the EPA determined that from 1995-1997 Kodak underreported the amount of nitrate compounds they disposed of in the Genesee River, and the amount of manganese compounds and ethylene glycol they shipped out for disposal. EPA also charged Kodak for not filing proper information about its use of the toxic chemicals 2-methoxyethanol and phenol.³

1990-1999

• In August, 1999 Kodak was fined $775,000 by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for environmental violations from 1993 to 1999. The violations include:

Dumping more than 5.5 million gallons of wastewater into the Genesee River.
Failure to inspect record waste storage areas.
A 60,000 pound toxic release, including over 21,000 pounds of the probable human carcinogen methylene chloride.⁴

In addition to the fines, Kodak also was required to make improvements to its King's Landing Wastewater Treatment Plant and to initiate an opacity reduction program.⁵

• In March, 1997 Kodak agreed to pay $90,000 in a settlement that originally called for over $144,000 in fines. The fines came as a result of 11 counts of violations divided into 294 separate items brought against Kodak based on their records from 1992 to 1994. The violations included such things as:

Improperly storing hazardous wastes.
Inadequate record keeping.
Failure to conduct proper inspections.
Incineration of PCBs, dioxins, and other toxins barred from Kodak's incinerator.⁶

• In October, 1994 Kodak was fined $5 million by the EPA with an additional fine of $3 million suspended in exchange for $13 million in supplemental environmental programs. The fines came in response to violations spanning back to 1988 which included 34 different violation categories. Some of the violations included:

  Illegal disposal of hazardous waste
  Illegal use of incinerators, traps, tanks, sumps, and waste piles
  Illegal or undocumented shipments of hazardous waste
  Apparent failure to notify the EPA of groundwater contamination
  Leaks and disrepair of underground pipes dating back at least 20 years
  Five failures in 1988 to burn hazardous waste at temperatures high enough to destroy toxic chemicals.

  In addition to the fines, the EPA also demanded the closure of an ash handling pad, the upgrade of air pollution control, and implementation of various other environmental programs.⁷

• In April, 1990 New York State's (NYS) criminal investigation of Kodak resulted in $2 million in fines, $1 million of which went to the DEC and $1 million of which went to the state attorney general's office. The fines came in a settlement to the charges brought against Kodak by NYS for various violations of environmental laws and regulations.⁸

1980-1989

• In September, 1989 the rupture of 11 barrels of dangerous chemicals led to a 6-hour long incident in which 45 people had to receive medical treatment; families in surrounding neighborhoods were urged to stay in their homes with the doors and windows shut. The chemical contained in the barrels, acetanilidoallylidenemalononitrile, is a mild irritant by itself, but some of the compounds it produces are more hazardous upon decomposition, and caused such things as chest pains, nausea, lightheadedness, and skin, eye, and throat irritation.⁹

• In December, 1988 an estimated 10,000-30,000 gallons of methylene chloride, a probable carcinogen, were spilled at Kodak Park,¹⁰ 1,300 gallons of which flowed directly into the Genesee River. The spill occurred at a pipeline that runs just a few hundred yards from an elementary school.¹¹

• In July, 1988 the EPA launched a federal investigation at Kodak Park in response to widespread worries over groundwater contamination due to the chemical spills and leaks at the large industrial complex.¹² The investigation, which ended in 1992, resulted in the multi-million dollar fines received by Kodak in 1994.

• In May, 1988 Kodak agreed to pay for $39 million for chemical testing of soil removed near Kodak Park for a Monroe County sewer tunnel project. County and state environmental officials had been negotiating with Kodak over this project since 1987 after Kodak released information that methylene chloride was found in groundwater beneath Kodak Park.¹³

Citations

¹Ireland, Corydon and Phil Ebersole. "A Massive Cleanup At Kodak." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 8 Oct. 1994, pp. 1A, 6A.

²United States Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2. "Kodak Settles With EPA on Charges It Failed to Monitor for Air Emissions." Press Release (10 July 2001

³United States Environmental Protection Agency - Region 2. "Kodak Settles With EPA on Charges It Failed to Monitor for Air Emissions." Press Release (10 July 2001)

⁴Citizens' Environmental Coalition. Annual Report 1999-2000. Buffalo, NY; 2001

⁵New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. "Kodak Agrees to $775,000 Penalty for Environmental Violations." Press Release (19 Aug. 1999)

⁶Ireland, Corydon. "Kodak, EPA Near Deal On Violations." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 3 Feb. 1997, pp. 1B, 4B.

⁷United States Department of Justice. Press Release (7 October 1994).

⁸Orr, Steve. "Kodak Expects Big, New Fines." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 4 Jan. 1992, pp. 1B-2B

⁹Tomb, Diana. "Noxious Fumes Sicken 45; Chemical Spill a Mystery." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 8 Sept. 1989, pp. 1A, 9A.

¹⁰Riley, John. "Kodak Spill Worse Than First Reported." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 8 Feb. 1989, pp. 1A, 16A.

¹¹Bellows, Henry. "10,000-gallon Kodak Spill." Albany Times-Union. 13 Jan. 1989.

¹²Lowe, Stephen. "Kodak, US Agency Still In Talks Stage On Pollution Probe." Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. 2 March 1993.

¹³Bellows, Henry. "Kodak To Pay For Chemical Tests At Sewer Tunnel." Albany Times-Union. 20 May 1988, pp.1B.