Wisconsin Department of Justice
P.O. Box 7857
Madison, WI 53707-7857

For More Information Contact:
Brian Rieselman 608/266-7876

Madison, WI – February 12, 2004
Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager announced today that her office has reached a settlement in Barron County Circuit Court with an Ohio corporation over alleged violations of state wastewater and hazardous waste handling regulations that occurred at its Chetek, Wisconsin, manufacturing facility.

The settlement was reached with Parker-Hannifin Corporation, 6035 Parkland Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44124. Parker-Hannifin operates a metal finishing facility at 1715 Parker Drive, Chetek, Wisconsin 54728

The complaint filed against Parker-Hannifin alleged:

? In May, September and October 2002, on seven separate days, Parker-Hannifin violated state metal finishing wastewater pre-treatment standards by exceeding standards established for zinc. High zinc levels in wastewater discharges can ultimately result in adverse effects on aquatic invertebrates, fish, and terrestrial plants, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
?
? During a DNR inspection on June 27, 2002, it was determined that defendant Parker-Hannifin Corporation had failed to comply with requirements that it perform employee hazardous waste training and had not prepared a required hazardous waste contingency plan.
?
? During that same June 27, 2002, inspection it was further discovered that Parker-Hannifin had failed to perform weekly hazardous waste inspections, had failed to maintain weekly inspection logs, and had no written hazardous waste minimization plan.

?To settle the case, Parker-Hannifin agreed to pay $25,000 in forfeitures, penalties and assessments,? Lautenschlager said. ?Additionally, Parker-Hannifin agreed to perform additional testing of its wastewater for zinc for a three-year period, to install equipment that would provide a warning that wastewater treatment equipment was malfunctioning, and to obtain DNR certification for its wastewater treatment equipment operator – measures that will help prevent recurrences and help protect both the natural environment and the health and safety of Wisconsin citizens.?

The Department of Justice filed the lawsuit at the request of the Department of Natural Resources. Parker-Hannifin cooperated with the Department of Natural Resources in correcting the problem with its pre-treatment equipment and in coming into compliance with hazardous waste management regulations.

Assistant Attorney General Jeff Gabrysiak prosecuted the case for the Wisconsin Department of Justice.