TLDR
The University of Maryland at College Park operates a sprawling research apparatus that generates a continuous stream of dangerous chemical waste. While the institution publicly projects an image of academic excellence, a federal EPA investigation recently revealed a persistent pattern of hazardous waste mismanagement which placed students, workers, and the local environment at risk.
The university allowed acids and reactive chemicals to sit in improperly labeled buckets (some emitting a noticeable stench) while failing to perform basic safety inspections for weeks at a time. This breakdown in oversight illustrates a systemic failure within the neoliberal university model, where administrative efficiency and cost-cutting frequently supersede the fundamental responsibility of public safety.
Institutional Misconduct
The failures at the College Park campus were a series of chronic lapses in safety culture. Inspectors identified that the university failed to conduct weekly inspections of its hazardous waste storage areas across multiple years, leaving dangerous materials unmonitored for extended periods. In one instance, a five-gallon bucket containing corrosive liquids was found with just the word “Stench” written on the lid, yet it was improperly labeled as non-regulated waste.
This specific container held reactive hazardous waste that required strict management, yet it was left in a general storage room.
Timeline of Systemic Failure
| Date Range | Nature of Violation | Impact on Safety |
| Dec 2021 – Sept 2024 | Repeated failure to conduct weekly inspections of waste storage areas. | Leaks and container deterioration could go unnoticed for weeks. |
| 2021 – 2024 | Four of seven Alternate Emergency Coordinators failed to complete annual training. | Personnel responsible for disaster response lacked current safety knowledge. |
| Sept 2023 | Facility contingency plan lacked evacuation signals and alternate routes. | Emergency responders and students lacked a clear roadmap for escape during a crisis. |
| Oct 2024 | EPA inspection discovers unlabeled waste and “stench” emitting containers. | Unidentified chemicals increased the risk of accidental mixing and explosions. |
| Dec 2, 2025 | Settlement finalized for federal RCRA violations. | Official acknowledgment of institutional negligence. |
Regulatory Capture and the Illusion of Oversight
Under late-stage capitalism, regulatory bodies like the EPA often operate with limited resources, allowing large institutions to treat safety compliance as a discretionary task rather than a legal mandate. The University of Maryland relied on a complex web of state-authorized regulations that, due to administrative delays, were not even the most current federally enforceable versions.
This legal gray zone allowed University of Maryland to operate a hazardous waste facility with an incomplete contingency plan. The institution failed to provide updated emergency plans to local police, fire departments, and hospitals, effectively leaving the community’s first responders in the dark about the specific toxins housed on campus.
Profit-Maximization and the Public University
Public universities have increasingly adopted the corporate logic of neoliberalism, prioritizing revenue-generating research and administrative expansion over the “back-of-house” costs of safety and environmental stewardship.
By neglecting to train personnel and skipping inspections, the institution effectively externalized the costs of its research programs onto the public and the environment. The failure to make hazardous waste determinations at the “point of generation” (meaning when the waste is first created0 shows a desire to delay the labor-intensive process of safety management until the last possible second.
Environmental and Public Health Risks
The mismanagement of hazardous waste including ignitable, corrosive, and toxic materials like arsenic, chromium, and lead poses a direct threat to the College Park community. When a facility fails to label a “solid solvent waste bin” and allows it to overflow, as was observed in their Physical Science Complex, it literally invites chemical evaporation and accidental exposure. Like, what if a drunk frat boy trips and falls into the vat of acid?
These materials, labeled under codes such as D001 and D008, are known to cause long-term environmental degradation and acute health crises if they enter the water table or are handled improperly by unsuspecting janitorial staff or researchers.
Corporate Accountability Fails the Public
The resolution of this case highlights the inherent weakness of current enforcement mechanisms. The University of Maryland was assessed a penalty of only $7,500. For a multi-billion dollar entity, such a fine is a negligible line item, effectively functioning as a “pay-to-pollute” fee rather than a deterrent.
💡 Explore Corporate Misconduct by Category
Corporations harm people every day — from wage theft to pollution. Learn more by exploring key areas of injustice.
- 💀 Product Safety Violations — When companies risk lives for profit.
- 🌿 Environmental Violations — Pollution, ecological collapse, and unchecked greed.
- 💼 Labor Exploitation — Wage theft, worker abuse, and unsafe conditions.
- 🛡️ Data Breaches & Privacy Abuses — Misuse and mishandling of personal information.
- 💵 Financial Fraud & Corruption — Lies, scams, and executive impunity.
