EAU CLAIRE COUNTY, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) today announced two settlements with WRR Environmental Services Co., Inc. (WRR) totaling $325,000. The settlements resolve civil environmental enforcement actions against the company for alleged violations of its air pollution control permits and the State’s air pollution control and hazardous waste management laws. WRR owns and operates a hazardous waste storage and processing facility in Eau Claire. It engages in spent solvent recycling, fuel blending, hazardous and non-hazardous waste storage and treatment, and chemical manufacturing.
“Hazardous waste must be handled appropriately, in compliance with applicable laws,” said AG Kaul. “Thank you to those who worked to obtain these settlements.”
The State alleged that WRR violated air pollution laws by, among other things, operating its facility without a DNR-issued air pollution control permit; exceeding annual emission thresholds for perchloroethylene (PCE); and failing to properly calculate the facility’s emissions.
The State also alleged that WRR violated hazardous waste laws by, among other things, failing to properly maintain and operate secondary hazardous waste containment systems; failing to make correct hazardous waste determinations; failing to document facility inspections; and failing to store incompatible waste in separate containers, which resulted in a fire at the facility and the release of hazardous chlorine-containing gases into the atmosphere.
The stipulated judgments require WRR to pay a total of $325,000 in forfeitures, surcharges, court costs, and attorney fees. In addition, under one of the judgments WRR must replace an existing air pollution control device with a Regenerative Thermal Oxidizer (RTO) and route the emissions from several hazardous waste storage tanks to the RTO. WRR estimates that the RTO project will reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from WRR’s Eau Claire facility by 4.2 tons per year. That stipulated judgment also requires WRR to hire an independent, third-party environmental consulting firm to audit and provide a signed confirmation of the accuracy of WRR’s Air Emissions Inventories for calendar years 2026 to 2030. WRR estimates that the cost of installing the RTO and completing the audits is approximately $925,000.
The Orders for Judgment were signed by Eau Claire County Circuit Court Judges Sarah Harless on June 15, 2026 and Jon Theisen on June 16, 2026.
Wisconsin DOJ worked closely with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to obtain this result.
