Dive Brief:
- One of the biggest recyclers in the state of Utah, Stone Castle Recycling, has abruptly stopped operations at three of its facilities.
- Representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in Denver, CO said that Anthony Stoddard, the owner and CEO of the recycling firm has “disappeared.” Law enforcement officials are currently attempting to track him down.
- The EPA reports that the abandoned warehouses and yards contain around 7,600 tons of hazardous electronic scraps and charred residue.
Dive Insight:
There were three separate incidents involving fires at three different sites leading up to Stoddard's disappearance. The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the U.S. EPA was pursuing enforcement actions as a result of the blazes. The organizations also wanted to make sure the toxic materials were removed from the sites.
The Basel Action Network (BAN), an organization that works to decrease the amount of toxic waste materials around the world, is requesting that the agencies involved more closely monitor and enforce e-waste management rules, citing the Resource Conservations and Recovery Act. In the meantime, this has the makings of a major waste industry scandal.