DEP Finds 48 Trash Trucks Violating State Laws in Southeast Pa

Norristown – The Department of Environmental Protection cited 48 trucks for 64 operational and safety violations during recent inspections at GROWS and Tullytown landfills in Bucks County.

The inspections were conducted Wednesday, Nov. 4, and Thursday, Nov. 5, at scale houses that serve Waste Management of Pennsylvania landfills in Falls Township.

“These unannounced inspections help to keep Pennsylvania’s highways safe and ensure that trash trucks are operating in compliance with environmental regulations,” said DEP Southeast Regional Director Joseph Feola. “Our Act 90 regulations are designed to protect the public and the environment, and they must be obeyed.”

The DEP regional staff inspected 388 trash trucks and found 64 violations that included the following:

Twenty-five trucks without required signs; 10 trucks without written authorization; 12 trucks with improper tarps; and nine leaking trucks. The state police and their Motor Carrier Enforcement branch assisted DEP with this inspection and conducted their own inspections, focusing on vehicle safety issues.

All of the violations were against the haulers, not the landfills.

Trash haulers must obtain authorization from DEP under Act 90, the state’s Waste Transportation Safety Act, to haul waste in Pennsylvania to in-state facilities. Those authorizations include signs that specify the truck’s contents and the owner-operator. DEP inspectors look at compliance history, and if outstanding violations exist or there is an inability to comply with Act 90 regulations, the state can revoke authorization.

In addition to checking Act 90 requirements, DEP inspectors also look for fire extinguisher and sign violations; drivers not properly managing waste during transportation; leaking trucks; improper covers over the waste; trucks that are overweight or otherwise overloaded; and log book or record-keeping violations.

For more information, visit www.depweb.state.pa.us or call 484-250-5808.

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