Dive Brief:
- Cascade Metal Recycling, a scrap recycling business, was fined over $23,000 by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
- The Grants Pass, OR recycler was penalized for discarding of waste improperly. The company buried dismantled cars on property located 150 feet away from a creek. The dumping grounds is over 6,000 square feet, and the waste was discovered buried under about one foot of dirt.
- In addition to the fine, the company must draft a work plan detailing the steps the company will take to excavate the area and discard the waste in an appropriate manner. If the company meets requirements and deadlines, the fine could be reduced.
Dive Insight:
The DEQ heard about the potential dumping issue in 2010 when the agency was suspected of burying car parts, fluids, electronics and potentially hazardous waste laced with asbestos in the ground.