LAWRENCE — The Kansas City office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Aagency has issued a civil complaint and compliance order concerning hazardous waste involving a Lawrence company. The EPA ordered Magnagro Corporation to provide an inventory of all drums, totes and other containers at the facility within 30 days. EPA also ordered the ag fertilizer company to submit a written plan for immediately shipping all hazardous waste at the facility to an approved disposal site. Two Magnagro employees died of asphyxiation on April 1 while cleaning one of the company’s storage tanks. During the investigation, EPA inspectors saw a number of materials they suspected to be solid and hazardous wastes. The city of Lawrence shut down operations at Magnagro on July 21 after company owner, Ray Sawyer, failed to address a series of city code violations and safety violations cited by the Lawrence Fire Department. The EPA said before it issued the order, Sawyer had ignored EPA requests for information.
Monday, Oct. 25, 2:30 p.m.
