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DEP Orders Shut Down of Unlawful Solid
Waste Facility in Newark
(03/76) TRENTON – The New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today ordered
Hi Tech Trans, LLC and its chief executive, David Stoller,
to shut down its unlawful solid waste transfer operations
and to cease the illegal charging of fees to accept and
transfer solid waste at its Essex County facility within
20 calendar days.
"We have significant environmental
concerns regarding the unlawful, unpermitted activities
occurring at Hi Tech," said DEP Assistant Commissioner
Lisa P. Jackson. "Its operation entirely flouts our
environmental laws designed to protect public health and
safety."
The facility is located on Bay Street at
the Oak Island Rail Yard in Newark.
Based on an inspection conducted by DEP
enforcement officers, the DEP has issued an Administrative
Order to Hi Tech Trans that includes a cease and desist
directive for the unlawful operation of a solid waste facility
and for charging solid waste haulers a fee to accept and
transfer solid waste without obtaining a DEP-issued Certificate
of Public Convenience and Necessity. New Jersey law mandates
that all solid waste operations obtain a site-specific engineering
design, a solid waste facility permit, and a county solid
waste management plan approval prior to commencing operations.
Hi Tech has not submitted any application
to the DEP for review of its operations and has evaded the
required DEP engineering review of its operation, increasing
the potential for environmental violations and harm.
To ensure that current environmental control
and safety standards are met, DEP regulations require that
waste processing facilities conduct all waste activities
within the confines of an enclosed building equipped with
air pollution control technology, and implement approved
stormwater control measures to prevent rainwater from coming
into contact with solid waste and potential pollutants.
In addition, waste processing facilities must have an approved
fire and safety plan and complete a noise and traffic impact
analysis.
During inspections, the DEP observed High
Tech’s facility accepting hundreds of tons of construction
and demolition waste, dumping solid waste loads into a roofless
tipping area, and transferring waste using a grapple loader
into rail cars.
Violation of the DEP-issued Administrative
Order carries potential penalties of up to $50,000 per day,
per violation.
A copy of the DEP-issued Administrative
Order is available upon request.
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