Settlement victory in Metro Recycling, Inc. Case

Black Warrior Riverkeeper Settles Metro Recycling, Inc. Case

Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Friends of the Locust Fork have settled their case against Metro Recycling, Inc. regarding operation of a used tire landfill in Blount County, Alabama. The Honorable United States Judge L. Scott Coogler approved our settlement requiring Metro Recycling to cease illegal discharges of pollutants, obtain a pollution permit mandated by the Clean Water Act, and pay $7,500 for a Supplemental Environmental Project (SEP) in the Locust Fork watershed.

The SEP will fund aquatic surveys in the Locust Fork watershed which will be used to determine future conservation goals within the watershed. The parties chose the Freshwater Land Trust, an Alabama non-profit land conservation organization, to receive Metro Recycling’s SEP payment and enable the aquatic surveys. Black Warrior Riverkeeper and the Friends of the Locust Fork are pleased that the entire SEP payment will benefit the Locust Fork watershed.

Metro Recycling owns and operates a used tire landfill, which was found discharging pollutants into an unnamed tributary of Whites Creek, a tributary of the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River during Riverkeeper patrols. Laboratory results from Riverkeeper’s water samples showed the pollutants illegally discharged by Metro Recycling included: Benzene (a known carcinogen), Chloromethane (possible carcinogen), 1,2-Dichloroethane (probable carcinogen), Ethylbenzene, Toluene, Vinyl Chloride (known carcinogen), and Xylenes, o,m,p. Metro Recycling violated the Clean Water Act and provisions of Alabama law by discharging pollutants without a proper permit.

The Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River is a remarkable free-flowing river. Flowing for 159 miles out of Etowah, Marshall, and Blount counties into Jefferson County, this river is an outstanding resource for locals and visitors alike. The SEP will help us better understand the river’s aquatic biodiversity, so we can be better stewards in our future conservation efforts.

Click here for the settlement agreement:

2008_PressRelease_MetroTire_ConsentDecree

Click here for the original lawsuit complaint:

2008_PressRelease_MetroTire_Complaint

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Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. Visit our website: http://www.blackwarriorriver.org

Friends of the Locust Fork is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to preserving the integrity of the Locust Fork River in its natural free-flowing state, and to that end, the lifestyle of the community which surrounds it. Visit our website: http://www.flfr.org/

Freshwater Land Trust is a non-profit organization whose mission is the acquisition and stewardship of lands that enhance water quality and preserve open space. We are a conservation group that works to ensure that everyone wins: landowners, businesses and communities alike. Visit our website: http://www.freshwaterlandtrust.org/