Koster settles with Springfield company for hazardous waste violations

A settlement tied to hazardous waste violations will put several thousand dollars in the coffers of the Greene County School Fund.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster and the state Department of Natural Resources have reached a settlement with ATC Technology Corp.'s Springfield drivetrain facility, which formerly operated locally as Aaron's Automotive. The Springfield site, which rebuilt engines and transmissions, shut down earlier this year.

According to a news release from Koster's office, more than 1,700 pounds of hazardous waste was removed from the facility, 2707 N. FR 123, after a DNR inspection found numerous violations of the law. Those violations included failure to properly inspect and maintain the facility and improper storage of hazardous waste, which is likely to escape into the environment, the release said.

Under the terms of the settlement, the company will pay $13,000 to the Greene County School Fund.

According to past Springfield Business Journal coverage, Illinois-based ATC Technology Corp had operated the local site since 1994, employing as many as 1,500 in the early part of this decade.