Paint cans left outside can be a problem

[RSuds 24]

Just wanted to let everyone know what happened to us and hopefully will help.

So we did a deck and had some extra stain that was left. The guys came back and they left the cans with very little stain in each can out back behind our shop to dry out and we can seal back up to get rid of them. They were out back for only a couple days. The guy who owns the buildings is looking to get a new motgage on the buildings, so when they looked at the buildings and saw the 3 cans and a brush in a empty bucket they called the EPA. A Environmental Hydrogeologist company came out and said that they will need to dig 3 feet down and se if the ground is contaminated or not. If it is it will cost a lot of money. They came out and dug then tested the soil. Everything turned out great and the soil is good with no problems.

The thing is that I am now supposed to be happy that they only billed me (Thousands) instead of 50,000 or more if they found a problem. What a business. Also I had to buy drums 100.00 each and fill them up with the dirt they dug and then they will pick up the dirt and charge another 180.00 for each drum they take.

So after 5,000 or so at the end of the year, I wanted to alert everyone do not leave anything outside!!!!

[We Wash Concrete 64]

So what do they expect you to do? Pour the leftover couple of drops down the drain, and toss the empty can off the side of the highway?

[Doug Black 18]

It is unclear to me why you should bear the cost for this. Were they unable to contact you for a long period of time first?

[RSuds 24]

They were thinking that it smelled and that maybe we used paint thinner that could have got into the soil.

[We Wash Concrete 64]

I'd contact a lawyer. What law did they claim you broke?

[Douglas Hicks 128]

What smelled, the dirt? Or this whole deal? Did anyone contact you before decisions were made? Who made you the goat? Nothing was found in hte dirt, yet it is still treated as haz mat/

I see body shops that leave paint out as you did. I am told it meets whatever rules are in effect. After the paint is a solid it is not haz mat