BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $32,337 penalty to Eastern Waste Services, LLC, of Clinton, Connecticut, for violations of state solid waste regulations during the operation of their recycling facility in Gloucester.

The company operates the Essex County Recycling Center and holds a permit that allows only pre-sorted recyclable materials to be accepted at the Kondelin Road facility. After receiving a complaint in September 2021, a MassDEP inspection determined that the company was accepting mixed construction and demolition (C&D) waste – including wood, metal, plastic, rubber, and house-siding – from various contractors. The C&D materials were dumped out in the open in the storage yard and then processed into 100-cubic-yard transfer trailers on the property. As required, the recycling center has not been granted a Site Assignment by the Gloucester Board of Health to operate as a C&D processing facility and has not been issued any permits by MassDEP to operate a solid waste handling facility.

In a consent order with MassDEP, Eastern Waste Services is required to stop receiving solid waste at the facility (including C&D waste), stop any C&D storage on-site and remove all solid waste materials. The company must also pay $20,000 of the assessed fine; the remainder will be suspended if there are no further violations over the next year.

“The recycling permit for this facility is very specific and requires that only pre-sorted recyclable materials can be delivered and processed as a way to protect the local environment and the public health,” said Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Wilmington. “The handling of C&D waste involves a much more comprehensive permitting process that involves town officials and significant input from local residents.”

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth, provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives and ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities served by the agency.

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