[A] waste hauler based in Arlington was assessed a penalty of $15,000 for commercially hauling solid waste and sewage without a state permit, the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources’ Department of Environmental Conservation said Monday.
According to a news release from the agency, Aaron Septic and Drain LLC had been operating without a required permit since 2011.
Hauling permits are required for anyone intending to commercially transport trash, food waste, septage or sewage, recyclables or regulated quantities of hazardous waste materials within the state, the release stated. The permit process is a tool for maintaining public health and safety by holding waste transporters accountable for practicing safe and environmentally sound transportation methods and delivering waste materials to appropriate destinations, the agency said.
The department found that Aaron Septic and Drain delivered at least 466,000 gallons of sewage waste between 2011 and 2015 to wastewater treatment facilities in Rutland and Brattleboro, all after the company’s hauling permit expired. During that time, the company failed to submit delivery reports to the state for the nine quarters during which it delivered waste to Vermont treatment facilities.
The Brattleboro Public Works superintendent notified the DEC in March 2015 that Aaron Septic and Drain also failed to pay for approximately 67,100 gallons of septage waste it delivered to the Brattleboro wastewater treatment facility during 2013.
State officials say fees charged for delivering septage waste cover necessary testing, which allows the wastewater facility to confirm the characteristics of waste to be treated and prevents inappropriate substances from entering the system, helping to maintain treatment system integrity.
The Brattleboro complaint led to the state’s investigation of Aaron Septic, officials said. That investigation showed that the company had been hauling waste without a permit.
In July this year, Aaron Septic and Drain applied for a solid waste transporter permit, which was issued within a week.
Based on the return to compliance, the matter was settled with an assurance of discontinuance, which was incorporated into an order that Judge Thomas Walsh, of the Environmental Division of Superior Court, issued Nov. 28. The order requires a penalty of $15,000 for the violations and continued compliance with all conditions of the Vermont solid waste transporter permit. The assurance of discontinuance agreement, signed by company representative James T. Davis, calls for the fine to be paid in 30 monthly installments of $500.
But the state’s settlement does not resolve Brattleboro’s issues with Aaron Septic. By April 2014, the company had owed the town $5,682 for “septic disposal charges and interest on overdue payments,” said John O’Connor, Brattleboro’s finance director.
“At that point, they were no longer allowed to dispose of sewage at the town’s wastewater plant until the account was paid in full,” O’Connor said.
The town sued in small claims court and received a default judgment in September 2015.
Since July of this year, Aaron Septic has been making monthly payments to Brattleboro ranging from $200 to $500, O’Connor said. But the company still owes $4,082, he said.
Aaron Septic did not return a phone call requesting comment.
(VTDigger reporter Mike Faher contributed to this report.)
