MassDEP penalizes Connecticut-based recycling company for solid waste violations

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued a $32,337 penalty against Eastern Waste Services LLC, based in Clifton, Connecticut, for violations of state solid waste regulations.

According to a release from MassDEP, the company operates the Essex County Recycling Center in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and holds a permit that allows for pre-sorted recyclable materials to be accepted at the facility.

After receiving a complaint in September 2021, a MassDEP inspection determined the company was accepting mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste—including wood, metal, plastic, rubber and house siding—from various contractors. The C&D materials were dumped “out in the open,” according to the agency, and then processed into 100-cubic-yard transfer trailers on the property.

As required for the processing of C&D materials, the recycling center has not been granted a site assignment by the Gloucester Board of Health to operate a C&D processing facility. Additionally, the company has not been issued any permits by MassDEP to operate a solid waste handling facility.

In a consent order with MassDEP, Eastern Waste Services is now required to stop receiving solid waste at the facility (including C&D waste), stop any C&D storage on-site and remove all solid waste materials. The company must also pay $20,000 of the assessed fine, with the remainder of the balance being suspended if there are no further violations over the next year.

“The recycling permit for this facility is very specific and requires that only pre-sorted recyclable materials can be delivered and processed as a way to protect the local environment and the public health,” says Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. “The handling of C&D waste involves a much more comprehensive permitting process that involves town officials and significant input from local residents.”