World Resource Recovery Systems Ordered to Clean Up Waste Transfer, Recycling Facilities

MEADVILLE, Pa., July 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection today ordered World Resource Recovery Systems Inc. and its president to comply with the conditions in its waste permit or have it suspended.

World Resource Recovery Systems operates a waste transfer station at its East Avenue facility inErie, where household waste is consolidated and loaded onto large trucks for transport to landfills. The facility also processes recyclable materials under contracts with several municipal governments.

The company and President Frank M. Lasky Jr. failed to follow its waste processing permit, resulting in a rat infestation that threatens the public's health, according to DEP's Northwest Regional Director Kelly Burch.

"World Resource Recovery Systems has created a public health nuisance by not following the requirements of its waste processing permit," said Burch. "In violation of its permit, the company leaves garbage on the transfer station floor overnight rather than removing it to a landfill and then cleaning the floor. This situation has attracted large numbers of rats to the property that our staff observed during a series of inspections.

"In addition, there are large holes in the roof of the building, walls are missing, the floor is cracked, and floor drains do not function properly--leaving pools of water in the work area, which also is a violation of the waste permit."

DEP inspected the facility on June 12 and observed municipal waste and recyclable materials on the transfer station floor past the time when the floor was to be cleared. The inspectors also observed large numbers of rats throughout the waste and the recyclables.

On June 16, DEP directed the company to immediately begin removing all waste daily by 9 p.m. and to clean the transfer station floor as required by its permit. In addition, the company was to take immediate action to reduce significantly or eliminate rats on the property and submit a comprehensive vector control plan to DEP by July 1.

DEP conducted a follow up inspection on July 17 and found some improvement, but not of a magnitude that addressed the major issues, which lead to today's order.

Under the order, World Resource Recovery Systems and Lasky are to:

-- Immediately control and/or eliminate the rat infestation at the property;

-- Correct and maintain the integrity of the municipal waste transfer facility;

-- Remove and dispose and/or recycle all of the materials at the property; and

-- Begin keeping recycling records at the property

If World Resource Recovery Systems and Lasky fail to comply with the order, DEP will suspend the facility's waste permit and the company will be unable to accept any waste.

For more information on waste management regulations, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Waste Management.

CONTACT: Freda Tarbell

(814) 332-6816

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

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Copyright © 2008, NewsBlaze, Daily News

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