The Department of Environmental Protection Tuesday said it reached agreements with five subsidiaries of Mars, Pennsylvania based Vogel Holdings, Inc. to resolve civil penalties and a permit appeal. 

The settlements with Seneca Landfill, Inc., Vogel Disposal Service, Inc., Tri-County Industries, Inc., and Valley Waste Service, Inc. total $682,500 and resolve penalties for violations that occurred at their facilities in Butler and Mercer Counties. 

The agreements also resolve the appeals of civil penalty assessments issued to Seneca Landfill, Inc. and Vogel Disposal Service, Inc.

These penalties stem from various violations of the Solid Waste Management Act and include but are not limited to the following:

— Transportation and storage of residual waste without DEP approval;

— Exceeding permitted daily waste volumes;

— Failed to implement odor and erosion and sedimentation control measures;

— Transporting and accepting a specific residual waste after the DEP issued a compliance order prohibiting acceptance of such waste; and

— Waste Hauler Inspection (WHIP) violations for transporting leaking loads

As part of the settlement agreements, Seneca Landfill, Inc., Vogel Disposal Service, Inc., and Tri-County Industries, Inc. will implement audit programs to discover, report, and improve environmental conditions at their respective waste operations. 

In addition, Seneca Landfill, Inc. will evaluate its odor control measures at their facility near Mars.

“The penalty reflects the seriousness of the violations committed by the Vogel companies,” Northwest Regional Director John Guth said.  “But, these settlements also represent a significant step toward improving environmental compliance across Vogel’s waste operations.” 

In addition, the DEP and Tri-County Landfill, Inc. have agreed to resolve the appeal of the DEP’s decision to deny a permit to reopen and expand the Tri-County Landfill near Grove City. 

To settle the appeal, the DEP has agreed to review a replacement application for a landfill design that meets the local requirements.  The DEP will conduct a complete new review of the application, including the opportunity for public comment and a compliance review involving the related Vogel subsidiaries.

The settlement documents are available for review at the DEP’s Northwest Regional Office in Meadville.

NewsClips:

DEP Fines Vogel Waste Hauling $682,500

DEP Fines Vogel Waste Hauling $682,500

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