The University faces $33,990 in penalties for not complying with Environmental Protection Agency codes concerning hazardous wastes and oil spill regulations.
EPA spokeswoman Ruth Podems said the University has corrected the violations.
"The University now has submitted an oil spill prevention plan and has certified they are in compliance with hazardous materials regulations," Podems said.
Last fall, the EPA targeted higher education as an area for inspection and reform, making the University an obvious focus in the Commonwealth of Virginia, said Ralph Allen, director of the University's Environmental Health and Safety office.
Upon inspection in June and September, the EPA noted the University was not in concurrence with two regulations - the Resource Conservation Recovery Act and the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Act.
The University was cited officially for the violations in October.
The RCRA governs the handling of hazardous wastes from inception to disposal.
The SPCCA, part of the Clean Water Act, aims to prevent contamination of clean water from spills of oil or other hazardous chemicals.
While the University had effective plans for the treatment of hazardous chemicals and for preventing and remedying oil spills, the plans neither were written nor were specific enough to meet EPA standards under the SPCCA, leading to the sanctions, University spokeswoman Louise Dudley said.
Unlabeled and open bottles of chemicals in undergraduate chemistry labs constituted the violation of the RCCA, which requires all hazardous chemicals to be kept in closed, labeled containers with lids on.
Allen said the University ships out 500,000 pounds of hazardous waste a year, so the minor incidents detected during the inspection show that, generally, the University has been managing hazardous materials effectively when the total amount of waste is considered.
"There were never any dangers or problems, just some technical violations," Allen said.
"But you can't stop because you're almost there," he said.
The dollar amount of the fine was calculated by estimating the amount of money the University has accrued by not having proper written plans.
The University was fined $8,500 for failure to comply with the RCRA and $25,490 for noncompliance with the SPCCA.
Allen said he thinks the EPA recognizes the University is "managing waste very well and has programs to make sure [a violation] doesn't happen again."
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