Iowa Scrap Yard Hit with Fine

A scrap yard in Latimer, Iowa, has been found guilty and fined by a judge in Franklin County, Iowa, for violating solid waste, storm water discharge and hazardous waste regulations. 

 

In his ruling, District Court Judge DeDra Schroeder assessed Jerry Passehl, owner of The Junkyard, more than $40,000 in civil and administrative penalties. The judge also ordered Passehl to bring his facility into compliance.

 

The violations include failing to clean up contaminated soil in a timely fashion, failing to properly dispose of abandoned appliances, failing to organize tires so that the number of waste tires could be counted and monitored, failing to comply with storm water discharge permit requirements and failing to notify the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of hazardous conditions.

 

In December 2010, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller filed a lawsuit alleging numerous environmental violations occurring since 2009, when the DNR issued an administrative order to address them.