Hilcorp assessed fine for hazardous waste violations on Alaska’s North Slope

Hilcorp Energy Co.’s North Slope unit has been fined $223,868 for several violations of the federal law that governs the management of hazardous wastes, the Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday.

The violations occurred at the Prudhoe Bay oil field, which Hilcorp has operated since 2020 after acquiring BP’s Alaska assets. The violations came to light in EPA inspections conducted in 2021 and 2023 that checked for compliance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, according to the consent agreement signed by EPA and Hilcorp officials on Sept. 30.

Some of the violations concern the identification, storage and disposal of various materials and items. Among them were chromium-tainted leather gloves, used batteries and containers for used oil, according to the consent agreement.

Chromium is a naturally occurring element that is used in some industrial operations. In high concentrations, it can be dangerous to people; it is linked to cancer and other health problems. The EPA has set a threshold at which chromium is considered toxic. Chromium in the discarded gloves exceeded that level, according to the consent agreement.

Other violations for which Hilcorp was fined concerned a failure to properly train workers and a failure to update a contingency plan, according to the consent agreement.

Hilcorp, a privately held company, cooperated during the settlement negotiations and has taken corrective action, EPA’s Seattle-based Region 10 office said in a statement.

Ed Kowalski, who directs the federal agency’s regional enforcement and compliance activity, stressed the importance of abiding by the rules concerning management of hazardous wastes.

“These regulations exist to protect human health and the environment,” Kowalski said in the agency statement. “When companies fail to make an accurate hazardous waste determination and don’t label containers or maintain an accurate inventory of hazardous waste they can put their employees, the general public, and the environment in danger.”

In a statement, Hilcorp spokesman Luke Miller cited some of the improvements the company has made.

“Hilcorp is committed to safely and responsibly developing Alaska’s resources. Moving forward, we will manage all leather gloves, used and unused, as hazardous waste, similar to how we manage used solvents, paints and chemicals,” he said in the emailed statement.

Originally published by the Alaska Beacon, an independent, nonpartisan news organization that covers Alaska state government.