April 4, 2001 – South Portland, ME – The U.S. EPA has ordered National Semiconductor Corp. to pay more than $302,990 for violating hazardous waste regulations.

According to the EPA’s statement, during an August 1999 inspection, inspectors found numerous violations of hazardous waste regulations such as: inadequate training of employees who handle hazardous waste; failure to have a written assessment of a hazardous waste tank system; failure to adequately inspect a hazardous waste tank before it was put into service; failure to have adequate secondary containment on a single hazardous waste tank; failure to label hazardous waste containers properly; failure to maintain adequate aisle space at a hazardous waste storage area; and failure to have a complete hazardous waste contingency plan to be used in the event of a hazardous waste spill.

In addition to the fine, the company has been ordered to conduct daily inspections of hazardous waste containers and provide hazardous waste training to all employees who have waste responsibility.

“National Semiconductor is a big business that uses a large amount of harmful chemicals and other materials. Our hazardous waste regulations were created to properly monitor dangerous chemical and prevent spills,” said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator of EPA New England, in a release. “In order for it to work, it is important businesses comply with all of the regulations. When companies fail to do this they are potentially putting people – their employees and neighbors – at risk.”

The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. Its South Portland plant manufactures integrated circuits in a new submicron 200mm die fab manufacturing facility and has been in operation since 1987 and employs close to 600 employees.