Former Recycling Company President Faces Prison Time for RCRA Violations

Posted on 12/8/2020 by Lauren Scott

On November 19, the former president of a Wisconsin-based recycling company was sentenced to 18 months in Federal prison for conspiring to store and transport hazardous waste without the proper permits. The former president also conspired to evade paying employment and income taxes, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Wisconsin.

The former president joined the recycling company in 2007 and became its president in 2010. The company recycles electronics, appliances, and other equipment out of its main facility in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.

A press release issued by the US Attorney’s office asserts that the former employer among others conspired to store hazardous waste (such as lead-contaminated CRT glass) at unpermitted facilities in Wisconsin and Tennessee; transport the hazardous waste without a required manifest; and conceal these violations from State and Federal auditors. The violations occurred between 2011 and 2016.

At the plea hearing, the former employer admitted to the following actions:

Changing the date labels on hazardous waste containers
Concealing the containers in the back of the warehouse behind other pallets as well as inside locked semi-trailers
Storing the containers at a warehouse in Glen Flora, Wisconsin undisclosed to State regulators
Storing the containers at two company-owned warehouse spaces in Morristown, Tennessee that had no electricity or power
Providing State regulators with inaccurate inventory and shipping records for the leaded glass

The former company president plead guilty to the charges on September 1. During sentencing, the judge noted that the individual had cooperated with the government during its investigation, but still needed to pay a price for the “severity of [his] conduct and the debt [he] must pay to society.”

RCRA Training: Learn Live or At Your Own Pace

US EPA requires hazardous waste professionals to complete annual training on the RCRA requirements. Lion makes it easy to meet your RCRA training mandate with convenient online courses and live, instructor-led webinars.

Browse RCRA training options here to find the course that fits your needs, your schedule, and your learning style.

Tags: environment, hazardous waste, penalties, RCRA, recycling, violations

Find a Post

Search for:

Compliance Topics

Compliance Archives

Lion's training was by far the best online RCRA training I've ever taken. It was challenging and the layout was great!

Paul Harbison

Hazardous Waste Professional

More thorough than a class I attended last year through another company.

Troy Yonkers

HSES Representative

Well designed and thorough program. Excellent summary of requirements with references. Inclusion of regulations in hard copy form, as well as full electronic with state pertinent regulations included is a great bonus!

Oscar Fisher

EHS Manager

We have a very busy work schedule and using Lion enables us to take the course at our own time. It makes it easy for me to schedule my employees' training.

Timothy Mertes

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Excellent. I learned more in two days with Lion than at a 5-day program I took with another provider.

Francisco Gallardo

HES Technician

Our instructor was very dynamic and kept everyone's interest. Hazmat shipping can be a dry, complicated topic but I was engaged the entire time.

Kimberly Arnao

Senior Director of EH&S

I was recently offered an opportunity to take my training through another company, but I politely declined. I only attend Lion Technology workshops.

Stephanie Gilliam

Material Production/Logistics Manager

The course was very well structured and covered the material in a clear, concise manner.

Ian Martinez

Hazmat Shipping Professional

Much better than my previous class with another company. The Lion instructor made sense, kept me awake and made me laugh!

Marti Severs

Enterprise Safety Manager

The instructor was excellent. They knew all of the material without having to read from a notepad or computer.

Gary Hartzell

Warehouse Supervisor

Download Our Latest Whitepaper

Your hazmat paperwork is the first thing a DOT inspector will ask for during an inspection. From hazmat training records to special permits, make sure your hazmat documents are in order.

Download

By submitting your phone number, you agree to receive recurring marketing and training text messages. Consent to receive text messages is not required for any purchases. Text STOP at any time to cancel. Message and data rates may apply. View our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.