Environmental mess left at “clean energy” plant.
The Washington Times reports:
Federal officials hailed Solyndra LLC’s plan to create clean energy when they awarded the company more than a half-billion dollars in loans, but the solar-panel maker’s abrupt closure now threatens to leave behind an environmental mess.
The company plans on paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up its own property in Fremont, Calif., but a separate leased property in nearby Milpitas sits vacant with barrels of unknown chemicals and lead-contaminated equipment, attorneys for the landlord, iStarCTL I L.P., said in recent bankruptcy court filings.
The full extent of the potential environmental problem at the leased Solyndra facility remains unclear. Officials at iStar say in court papers that they were not given the keys to the premises until this month, though Solyndra stopped making its lease payments in September when it filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware…
Disgusting. Did Solyndra skip the environmental and safety classes on how all barrells must be clearly labeled, preferrably with a full DOT shipping name and all applicable waste codes? How about the inspector-favorite spill-tight lid requirement?
When you generate hazardous waste, it is yours cradle to grave until Kingdom Come. There are tales of people being dragged back years or decades later because the treatment company had thrown their stuff into a landfill instead of burning it like they were supposed to. The original generator paid to have it destroyed again and were slapped with a fine, despite the fact that they were the victim of a crime.
In this case, Solyndra is 100% responsible, and a judge had BETTER find that way.