All News Releases By Date

Criminal Hazardous Waste Prosecution Results in Collection of 249 Tons of Household Hazardous Waste in Roanoke, Va. Area

Release Date: 9/3/2002
Contact Information: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543

Contact: Bonnie Smith, 215-814-5543


ROANOKE, Va. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that a household hazardous waste collection program, sponsored by the City of Roanoke, Va., as part of its sentence for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, has resulted in the collection and proper disposal of 249 tons of waste.

The household hazardous waste collection effort was a negotiated part of the sentence imposed on the City of Roanoke for storing hazardous waste without a permit. The city’s sentence, imposed by a federal judge in Roanoke, required it to sponsor household hazardous waste collection days during its three-year period of probation. The city, in conjunction with several neighboring communities, sponsored the one-day collections on June 17, 2000, April 21, 2001, October 22, 2001 and May 4, 2002. During the four collection days, 3,948 residents dropped off their hazardous household waste at various locations, and city-hired contractors then properly disposed of the waste. The program cost approximately $265,000.

In addition to sponsoring the collection days, the city paid a $125,000 fine, sponsored four three-day training sessions on environmental management systems for municipal officials throughout Virginia, and contributed money toward a “greenway” project along Tinker Creek.


“This case shows how criminal prosecutions can result in positive environmental benefits in a variety of ways,” said Donald Welsh, the regional administrator of EPA Region III. “It also shows how much hazardous waste is in our homes and how important it is to develop collection and disposal programs.”

United States Attorney, John L. Brownlee, concurred. “The community response to the household hazardous waste collection program has been tremendous and has greatly reduced potential environmental harm from such waste. We hope the city, and its neighboring community partners, continue this very valuable environmental program even after it is no longer required to do so by the terms of is federal sentence. We also encourage other localities to offer similar household hazardous waste collection opportunities to their residents.”

#

02-188