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Monday, December 21, 2009

Environment - "Attorney General Greg Zoeller has filed a lawsuit against an Elkhart County recycler with a history of environmental violations, worker-safety violations and public complaints"

From today's lengthy press release:

The suit asks the court to require the company to cease its open dumping of wood waste and to remove waste materials and debris.

Zoeller seeks preliminary and permanent injunctions and civil penalties against VIM Recycling Inc. after an inspection last week found multiple violations at the company's wood-recycling operation at 29861 Old U.S. Highway 33 in Elkhart, Ind.

The complaint filed in Elkhart County Superior Court today alleges VIM Recycling has continued to haul in and deposit "B-grade" solid waste scraps and pieces of treated wood from mobile-home manufacturing waste onto the site in violation of the state's laws against open dumping, polluting or creating fire hazards.

The suit alleges VIM Recycling engaged in a pattern of noncompliance with directives of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM). VIM's actions could damage the public health and environment, the suit alleges. * * *

Zoeller noted that with multiple complaints brought on behalf of different agencies by the attorney general against VIM, it was appropriate that the Attorney General�s Office intervene to try to combat the problems comprehensively.

An earlier story from the Elkhart Truth, by Stephanie Gattman, began:
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller is coming to Elkhart Monday, likely to announce he's filing a civil lawsuit against VIM Recycling.

In 2007, VIM was the scene of an explosion and four-day fire that caused the death of one employee. And it's been the subject of ongoing controversy regarding dust, odors and health concerns among neighbors.

Area residents have brought a series of lawsuits against the company, the most recent of which was filed in federal court in October.

The attorney for VIM's Baugo Township neighbors is encouraged with the attorney general's involvement.

"Well, we hope that the long history of willful violations by the owners/operators of the VIM site, primarily its owner Ken Will, are going to be addressed and stopped," said Kim Ferraro, executive director of Legal Environmental Aid Foundation of Indiana. "That's the big, number one hope."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on December 21, 2009 01:30 PM
Posted to Environment