A total of 23 operational and safety violations were found on 11 trash trucks examined earlier this week during a surprise inspection at the ERSI Landfill in Lackawanna County, PA.
The inspection was held at the ERSI Landfill, a demolition debris landfill that was not cited. Regional staff inspected 24 trash trucks and found 11 trucks with a total of 23 violations. Eleven of those violations were related to the Department of Environmental Protection’s new trash-truck licensing and certification program. In addition, there were two violations for no identification or incomplete ID signs; six violations for improper enclosures or tarps; three leaking load violations; and one truck taken out of service for traffic safety (brake) problems by the Pennsylvania State Police. DEP issued nine Notices of Violation and seven summary citations for the violations.
Last year the northeast regional office inspected 1,645 trash trucks, found 171 violations and issued 70 Notices of Violation and 111 summary citations. Since June 2000, the northeast region has inspected more than 2,000 trash trucks and found more than 300 violations. Many of these violations are being heard before local magistrates.