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The New York Attorney General (“AG”) and New York Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner (collectively, “AG”) announced in a September 14th news release the convictions of ALPCO Recycling, Inc., Alton Plumb, Jr., Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants, Inc., and Craig Foster.
The corporations are alleged to have illegally processed and disposed of 800 tons of electronic waste (e-waste) in Wayne County, New York.
The corporations are described as recycling companies. Alton Plumb, Jr. is stated to be the owner of ALPCO Recycling, Inc., while Craig Foster is stated to be a project manager of Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants, Inc.
The news release states that in 2015 a large amount of e-waste was abandoned at the Geneva Enterprise Development Center in Seneca County. The abandoned waste is stated to have included television and computer monitors with Cathode Ray Tubes. The Cathode Ray Tubes are hazardous and contain lead.
The news release states that in 2016:
. . . when Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants was hired to clean up the abandoned e-waste, Foster approached ALPCO owner Plumb, Jr. for assistance. Despite knowing that ALPCO did not have a permit and was not authorized to process hazardous waste, Foster, on behalf of his company, entered into an agreement with Plumb to process and dispose of the abandoned e-waste. Altogether, ALPCO unlawfully processed and disposed of 800 tons of e-waste from May 2016 to July 2016. The ALPCO site was subsequently remediated and all of the e-waste was properly disposed of at ALPCO’s cost.
Foster and Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants, Inc., is stated to have pleaded guilty to unauthorized possession, disposal, and dealing in hazardous waste and sentenced to one-year conditional discharge. Further, Finger Lakes Cleanup and Recycling Consultants, Inc., is stated to have pleaded guilty to unlawfully dealing in hazardous waste in the first degree and was sentenced to a three-year conditional discharge. Each were fined $5,000.
Plumb and ALPCO Recycling, Inc., previously pleaded guilty to violating New York’s Environmental Conservation Law and was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and paid a $1,500 fine. Further, ALPCO Recycling, Inc., pleaded guilty to unauthorized possession, disposal, and dealing in hazardous waste and was sentenced to an unconditional discharge. In addition, Plumb is stated to have previously agreed to a New York Department of Environmental Conservation Consent Order requiring him to pay $225,000 in civil penalties.
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
