A New Jersey hazardous waste firm with South Georgia and North Carolina ties has been slapped with a hefty fine and probation over environmental safety breaches. Care Environmental Corporation and its top man, Francis J. McKenna, Jr., got the book thrown at them with a five-year probation period, a $50,000 fine, and a staggering $135,000 bill for cleanup costs, a Senior U.S. District Court Judge decided on January 17.
The firm previously admitted to a charge of illicitly storing carbon disulfide, a hazardous substance, without a permit, in its Valdosta warehouse. According to a release from U.S. Attorney's Office, the outlawed operation put not just local residents, but the sensitive South Georgia environment in jeopardy. U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary minced no words, stating, “Care Environmental Corporation put Valdosta residents and the South Georgia ecosystem at risk when it failed to properly dispose of hazardous waste and then compounded that failure after state and federal authorities highlighted its wrongdoings and offered a plan to correct its actions,”
Special Agent in Charge Charles Carfagno of EPA-CID's Atlanta office was quoted saying, “Improperly handling and storing hazardous waste not only violates environmental regulations but places surrounding communities at risk of an accidental release, explosion or worse,” He expressed hope that the sentencing will be a wake-up call to other would-be environmental violators that severe consequences are in store for those who disregard the law.
Following an inspection of the Valdosta facility in October 2019, officials uncovered a toxic trove of around 2,100 55-gallon drums and numerous other containers brimming with dangerous chemicals. Materials like yellow phosphorus and mercury presented real threats to both human safety and mother nature. The warehouse was subsequently sealed off in December of that year, leading to a cleanup orchestrated by the EPA, which set back a total of $134,215.98 for both the Georgia and North Carolina locations, as documented by the court. Sara Lips, Georgia's DNR Environmental Protection Division Communications and Community Engagement Director, noted how this case shows local, state, and federal entities joining forces to enforce laws that guard human health and the environment.
Environmental watchdogs are hailing the verdict as a win in the ongoing battle against corporate negligence. The case itself unfolded under the scrutinizing eyes of the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, with Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuting the case. Such concerted efforts suggest that while companies like Care could attempt to skirt environmental responsibilities.
