The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management announces that under terms of a plea agreement approved earlier this month Environmental Services, Inc. has paid $30,000 into the state's environmental response fund for water pollution violations at the firm's former facility at 1201 in Smithfield. The company recycles waste anti-freeze and waste oil filters, and leased the Douglas Pike property from PJS Properties LLC.
Last September, based on investigations conducted by DEM's Office of Criminal Investigation, N.E. Environmental Services, Inc., and the company's president and vice-president, were charged with nine felony counts relating to the illegal discharge of waste oil and glycol at the Smithfield facility. Also as part of the plea agreement, the company received a five-year deferred sentence on the charges. Charges against the firm's president, Peter J. Beauregard, and vice-president, Todd Smith, were dropped as a result of the plea agreement.
In addition to the $30,000 paid to the state's environmental response fund, N.E. Environmental Services, Inc. will pay $77,250 in penalties to DEM by June 15, 2008, in settlement of a Notice of Violation the Department issued to the firm and its principals related to the numerous violations of the state Water Pollution Act.
In November and December of 2004 and February of 2005, DEM received numerous complaints from residents of strong odors associated with glycol coming from the vicinity of N. E. Environmental Services’ facility.
On May 20, 2005, DEM conducted an additional inspection of the property and took samples of seepage found at the bottom of an embankment leading to a stream behind the facility. This sample confirmed the presence of beryllium, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in excess of EPA standards.
In June 2005, DEM's Office of Criminal Investigation received consent to search the site from PJS Properties, the property owner. PJS Properties LLC was cooperative throughout the investigation. Samples were taken from a leech field pipe and from effluent, and oil samples were taken from the ground.