A Susanville recycling company has agreed to pay $235,000 in restitution and civil penalties to the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, and will shut down on May 31st after an investigation revealed the business was paying California Redemption Value for out-of-state material, accepting more material than the daily legal limits, and falsifying records and receipts.
“This is one more example to those who cheat that recycling fraud will not be tolerated,” CalRecycle Director Caroll Mortensen said. “Our investigations of suspicious activity are ongoing, and we will continue to take action against those who steal from the recycling fund – both in civil cases such as this one, or by working with our law enforcement partners to pursue criminal convictions.”
CalRecyle’s investigation began following a tip from the California Highway Patrol that large quantities of empty beverage containers were being transported from the Reno area to recycling centers in the Susanville area, including Bullseye Recycling, owned by Thomas Allen Glenn III and Shannah Lee Glenn.
CalRecycle investigators conducted surveillance on Bullseye Recycling and two other local recyclers. CalRecycle auditors followed up with a review of Bullseye Recycling’s business records and receipts.
CalRecycle investigators found that, on numerous occasions, Bullseye purchased more than 500 pounds of plastic containers from a single seller in a day, and more than 500 pounds of aluminum cans from a single seller in a day. At the time, 500 pounds was the daily load limit for both plastic and aluminum, but those limits have since been reduced. On several occasions, Bullseye allowed the sellers to split the loads into multiple transactions to bring each sale below the 500-pound limit. Splitting loads in this manner is illegal.
Investigators also found that Bullseye accepted and purchased out-of-state material, which is ineligible for CRV. Many of the transactions were for large volumes of material from repeat customers with out-of-state vehicle license plates.
Other counts in the administrative action against Bullseye focus on the company’s failure to keep proper receipts and other documents. For example, receipts that were reviewed during the audit did not include the total weight or count of materials by material type; the recycling center’s certification number; or the date of sale. Receipts were not prepared for transactions of more than $100, as required by law.
CalRecycle is undertaking a major and multipronged effort to protect the state’s Beverage Container Recycling Fund from fraud. As of 2014, the new per-person, per-day limits are 100 pounds of aluminum or plastic CRV-eligible containers, and 1,000 pounds of CRV glass. Previously, the limits were 500 pounds of aluminum or plastic, and 2,500 pounds of glass. Aluminum and plastic, due to their relatively light weight, are the most common materials found in truckloads brought across California’s borders for illegal CRV redemption.
New regulations also require anyone transporting into California a load of empty plastic or aluminum beverage containers weighing 25 pounds or more, or 250 pounds or more of glass, to pass through a California Department of Food and Agriculture quarantine inspection station and obtain and carry proof of inspection. New training requirements have also been implemented for operators of recycling centers and processing facilities.
You can read the original story at CalRecycle’s website by clicking here.
