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“Outstanding service. They were extremely careful delivering the extra large container into our driveway.” -- A. L. GARNER
The DNREC Natural Resources Police Environmental Crimes Unit has 10 employees that respond to public reports and monitor surveillance footage, but they also take care of hazardous waste and chemicals, work with police on meth labs, and enforce solid waste, wastewater and wetland code violations, among other jobs. "Lots of times, it’s extremely difficult to catch people in the act of dumping," Emory said. Illegal dumping often occurs on hard-to-access back roads or is cloaked by darkness. Without video evidence, it's especially difficult to prove. In 2017, DNREC had 27 people arrested for illegal dumping, with fines totaling $13,500. Both were five-year highs. State police made 71 arrests for littering and illegal dumping in 2017 (25 in New Castle County, 14 in Kent County and 32 in Sussex County). Wilmington issued 1,795 such citations for the 12-month period of January 2017 through June 2018, according to Licenses and Inspections Commissioner Jeff Starkey. Fines totaled $89,750. Over the past year to date, Newark issued 14 littering citations. A person found guilty of littering or illegal dumping can be fined no less than $50 and given up to eight hours of community service for a first offense. A second offense within two years draws a $75 fine and up to 25 hours of community service. If the offense occurred on or along a road adjacent to an area of scenic, historical or cultural interest, an additional penalty of $500 must be imposed for every first, second and subsequent offense, in addition to the fine. In many cases, offenders are also made to pick up litter from the area they polluted. Given the challenges associated with catching violators, officials have shifted their focus to cleanup and reducing future litter. Roadside trash is collected by DelDOT with three groups: DelDOT maintenance employees, inmates and volunteers through the adopt-a-highway program. But the system is failing along Episcopo's commute. "I have seen local residents out there," Episcopo said. "The only cleanup I’ve ever seen." According to the latest National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study, conducted in 2009, litter cleanup costs $11.5 billion nationwide each year. States, cities and counties together spend $1.3 billion. (spite fines for littering, illegal dumping, trash piles up in some parts of Delaware)
As a result, Foster suffered unspecified permanent and significant injuries, which may result in pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, medical bills and medical treatment.For counts of negligence from Foster and loss of consortium from his spouse, Lutz, the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $50,000, plus costs of suit and interest herein.The plaintiffs are represented by Joseph T. Piscitello of Piscitello Law, in Philadelphia.Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas case 180201436From the Pennsylvania Record: Reach Courts Reporter Nicholas Malfitano at nickpennrecord@gmail.com...
An airport spokesperson, Christina Crews, also made it clear that the amnesty boxes would be monitored.AdvertisementCrews told the Sun:The drawer pulls out; you drop your stuff in and you close it. You can’t really get your hand in there. If you start tampering with them, you’d be detected pretty quickly.GIF The McCarran Airport weed contractor. Maybe.AdvertisementSheesh, way to blow a potential high. And in case you’re wondering what happens to the weed when it comes time to clean out the bins, Fox reports that a contractor has been hired to “collect and dispose of the receptacles’ contents multiple times per week.”Yeah, uhmmmm ... can we have that contractor’s number? We’ve been looking for a guy.
GalleryWaste Management has suspended trash collection in the Greater Houston region Tuesday due to icy weather conditions."We are continuing to monitor service areas impacted across Texas and Oklahoma," the Houston-based company said in a statement. "Your service may be delayed or postponed until weather conditions improve."RELATED: Waste Management to pay employee bonuses amid tax cut benefitsCities affected include Houston, Pasadena, Conroe, Austin and San Antonio.Most Popular...
IEPA counters the levels found exceeded what’s allowed by law.Environmentalists are seizing on the results, seeking to require groundwater monitoring around the sites, which are “reclaimed” by depositing demolition debris such as concrete, brick, asphalt and uncontaminated soil. Rock quarries often sit directly atop groundwater supplies. Advocates for tougher standards point out that toxic material that goes in will likely have direct contact with an aquifer.“It confirms my worst fears,” said Rep. Margo McDermed, from limestone-rich Will County, home to a dozen CCDD sites. The Republican’s monitoring-well legislation stalled last spring.“The protocols that were created to monitor the so-called clean construction debris in the quarries were completely inadequate,” McDermed said. “We never felt they were sufficient to protect people and their drinking water, and unfortunately, we were correct.”RELATED:4 in 5 Illinois debris dump sites high in toxinsRegulators are meeting with representatives of each of the impacted sites, IEPA spokeswoman Kim Biggs said. What happens, she said, “will vary site by site,” but could include more sampling, confirmation testing or soil removal.Critics say the industry is self-regulated, with debris haulers and quarry owners deciding whether waste to be dumped is contaminated. Trade representatives counter licensed professionals test soil on the demolition site for contaminants, taking into consideration the land-use history. Then the load is inspected visually and with a chemical odor-detecting wand at the dump site. Suspicious loads may be rejected.The idea behind the CCDDs is to divert “clean” debris from sanitary landfills — premium, more-costly space because of tougher environmental standards designed to discourage toxins from migrating to groundwater. Dumping the same load at a landfill costs at least five times more, not counting increased trucking expenses because there are far fewer landfills, said Dan Eichholz, executive director of the industry group...
