Environmental Protection South Central Regional Director Rachel Diamond announced that Waste Management of Pennsylvania has paid a $5,500 penalty for a violation that occurred earlier this year during the collection and transportation of recycled material in Lebanon County, PA.
“A waste hauler collecting and transporting recyclable material is responsible for the implementation of the department’s rules and regulations,” Diamond said. “WMPA allowed source-separated recyclable material to be combined with municipal waste. That is a clear violation of the department’s municipal waste regulations.”
During an inspection in North Londonderry Township on March 31, DEP discovered source-separated recyclables were collected and mixed with municipal waste in a transportation vehicle.
It is a waste hauler’s responsibility to report tonnages of all recyclables collected along its hauling routes. The tonnage totals are then used to calculate performance grants issued by DEP. The violations caused North Londonderry’s tonnages to be under-reported, which reduced the amount of grant money North Londonderry Township received from DEP.
WMPA was issued a notice of violation on April 2.