Salem fuel provider fined $50G for illegal disposal

SALEM – A Salem-based fuel provider has agreed to pay $50,000 in civil penalties to the state for illegally removing, transporting and disposing of waste oil contained in expired oil tanks from locations in Essex County and for lying to local fire departments about the nature of the jobs.The complaint against Clarke Brothers, Inc., 281 Derby St., was filed in Suffolk Superior Court by state Attorney General Martha Coakley on behalf of the state Department of Environmental Protection.According to the complaint, Clarke Brothers violated hazardous waste and tank removal laws by improperly collecting and transporting waste oil without obtaining the necessary permits from local fire departments. Clarke Brothers also violated environmental laws when it contracted with an unlicensed hazardous waste transporter to dispose of accumulated waste oil and provided inaccurate information in permit applications required to perform tank removals.”Because of the health and environmental risks associated with waste oil, the law requires strict adherence to specific hazardous waste management methods when handling expired fuel tanks and their contents,” Coakley said.As part of the settlement, Clarke Brothers must correct its past activities and adopt strict business practices that recognize the importance of proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste.”These strict business practices are essential to the protection of air and water quality as well as public health,” said DEP Commissioner Laurie Burt.Over the next three years, Clarke Brothers must submit to and pay for bi-annual audits for environmental compliance by a reputable outside expert whose reports will be provided to DEP. If the defendant returns to the business of removing tanks itself, the audits will be conducted four times per year, according to Coakley spokesperson Jill Butterworth.