The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a total $712,500 in penalties against two waste-transportation companies for setting up illegal solid-waste transfer stations in Sparta, Sussex County, and marketing their materials as clean fill, some of which ended up at residential properties, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced on May 22, 2019.
The DEP issued an Administrative Orders and Notices of Civil Penalty Assessment in the amount of $527,500 to Sinai Trucking LLC, its owner, Angel A. Bravo-Gomez and its president, Anthony Gomez. The DEP issued a separate Administrative Order and Notice of Civil Penalty Assessment in the amount of $185,000 to Keila Transport LLC and its owner, Gabriel Campoverde.
Both firms list Newark as their principal business address but operated illegal solid-waste transfer stations at the same location on Houses Corner Road in Sparta.
“These firms benefitted financially by being paid to accept construction materials and other solid waste then deliberately misled customers by claiming it was clean fill,” Commissioner McCabe said. “This behavior will not be tolerated and, in addition to penalties, the DEP is ordering the companies to remove the contaminated fill and provide refunds to customers.”
During an extensive investigation, the DEP determined that Sinai Trucking accepted more than 50,000 cubic yards of construction waste, demolition debris and other solid waste at the Houses Corner Road site. Materials that Sinai Trucking accepted included soil, concrete, wood, tile, plastic sheeting wastes, brick, block and asphalt.
Read the rest of the article on the NJDEP website.