WILLIAMSPORT — The Department of Environmental Protection has issued an $8,500 fine to David and Jennifer Brown, owners of R.G. Brown Refuse Removal and Recycling in Tuscarora Township, Bradford County, for violating state waste and water laws.
“An inspection revealed that R.G. Brown had accepted and illegally disposed of fluorescent bulbs from Pendu Manufacturing without a permit,” DEP Northcentral Regional Director Robert Yowell said. “The proper handling, storage and disposal of hazardous waste is essential to protect the safety of workers and the public, and to prevent environmental contamination.”
Fluorescent light bulbs are classified as universal waste, a type of hazardous waste, and must be handled as such.
Other violations of the Pennsylvania Solid Waste Management Act uncovered during the inspection included unpermitted dumping and disposing of solid waste on the ground, operating a solid waste transfer station, and burning solid waste, including electrical wire coating.
R.G. Brown also violated the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law by burning waste near a natural spring, resulting in water pollution.
A subsequent DEP inspection conducted in early February found that all the violations had been corrected. The fine was paid to the state’s Solid Waste Abatement Fund, which is used to pay for cleanups statewide.
DEP also fined Pendu Manufacturing $8,173 in March for improperly disposing waste through R.G. Brown.