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News Release
RI Department of Environmental Management
235 Promenade Street, Providence, RI 02908
(401) 222-2771 TDD/(401) 222-4462
For Release: September 3, 2002
Contact: Gail Mastrati 222-4700 ext. 2402
Stephanie Powell 222-4700 ext. 4418

METALS RECYCLING LLC INDICTED BY GRAND JURY ON HAZARDOUS WASTE CHARGES STEMMING FROM DEM INVESTIGATION

PROVIDENCE - On August 30, a Providence County Grand Jury indicted Metals Recycling LLC of 89 Celia Street in Johnston on 10 felony counts related to the illegal operation, storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous waste.

The criminal indictments stem from an eight-month surveillance by investigators from the Department of Environmental Management's Office of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. The investigation began in May 1998 and resulted in the execution of several search warrants on January 28, 1999 at Metals Recycling LLC's Celia Street facility. The investigation focused on hazardous levels of PCB-contaminated automobile shredder residue - commonly known as auto fluff - being transported via tractor-trailer from a Metals Recycling LLC facility in Worcester, MA to the Johnston facility and to the Central Landfill. PCBs are suspected cancer-causing agents and are classified as extremely hazardous waste by federal and state regulations.

The indictments handed down by the Grand Jury relate to operations at Metals Recycling LLC's Celia Street facility between July 14, 1998 and January 28, 1999. They include one count related to the illegal storage of hazardous waste; one count related to the illegal operation of an unlicensed hazardous waste facility; six counts related to the illegal transportation of hazardous waste; one count of failing to prepare a hazardous waste manifest; and one count of illegally operating a solid waste facility without a license.

All of the charges are felonies. The maximum penalty on counts one through nine is $10,000 and five years imprisonment for each day during which the violation was repeated, and the maximum penalty on count 10 is $25,000 and five years imprisonment for each day during which the violation was repeated.

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