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Alaska Journal of Commerce

January 25, 1993

Palmer plant closes but will fight EPA fine

By Margaret Bauman

A Palmer waste processing plant, hit a $539,694 Environmental Protection Agency fine 14 months after inspection, has shut down indefinitely, but owners say they will challenge the charges.

Cecilia Hidalgo, who owns Alaska Pollution Controls Inc. with her husband, Carl Luchsinger, said the couple hoped to reach an informal settlement with the EPA but only had 20 days in which to respond or the fines would stick on 15 alleged violations.

"When I heard of this, I was very depressed, but we've got to be optimistic, There is no other way to accomplish it," she said.

According to Hidalgo, APC had submitted to EPA all requested documents. "Now we are being hit with documents they never (before) asked for," she said.

The facilities wee closed to avoid additional penalties until the matter is settled with EPA, she said.

Meanwhile, APC has laid off 23 employees. "The only people we are retaining are compliance people and skeleton security staff," said Ralph Hulbert, an APC engineer.

The charges range from failure for inspection of monitoring, safety and emergency devices and equipment at the facility to failure to show proof that APC has the funds to properly dispose of all wastes if the plants shut down.

The charges stem from an EPA inspection of APC's Chemron Alaska waste processing plant in Palmer, which was conducted in November 1991. APC's other Palmer facility, known as the Springer plant, also has shut down indefinitely. Chemron primarily treats used oil, recycles it into boiler fuel and treats contaminated soils and other materials that would otherwise be hazardous to the environment, while the Springer plant treats wastewater's, Hulbert saidE

Alaska Journal of Commerce

January 25, 1993

Wal-Mart plans Anchorage, Wasilla stores in 1994

By Margaret Bauman

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., with construction contracts out to bid, plans to open two Anchorage and one Wasilla facilities in the spring of 1994, say officials of the Bentonville, Ark. discount retail chain.

The three stores employ some 1,165 workers, including top management officials who will probably transfer in from an existing Mal-mart, said Trey baker, public relations coordinator. Hiring, however, won't begin for at least another year, he said.

Wal-Mart's announcement comes on the heels of an upbeat 1993 economist forecast from Scott Hawkins, president of the Anchorage Economic Development Corp., which was printed before Wal-Mart made its official expansion plans.

"Usually, if we are going to open a new store, the manager will probably transfer in from another Wal-Mart, because that person has the Wal-Mart philosophy indoctrinated in them," Baker said, in an interview. "Team leaders and the department heads on the sales floor, would be trained by management and could work their way into management," he said.

Applications for positions with the stores usually are made available three to four months before the store is to open, he said.

Plans are to employ some 245 workers at each Anchorage location, plus 185 others in WasillaE