DA's Office Sues River City Waste Recyclers
SACRAMENTO COUNTY (CBS13) - Accepting stolen equipment, dumping hazardous waste and creating a huge fire danger are among the allegations a major local business faces in a lawsuit filed by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
It's the same recycler facing separate criminal charges for allegedly accepting stolen metal. District Attorney Jan Scully announced a fresh round of allegations on Monday against River City Waste Recyclers.
"Encompassed in this complaint is a smorgasbord, if you will, of environmental violations," she said at a press conference.
The lawsuit lists violations for each of River City's five facilities.
To name a few, River City allegedly operated a wood chipping facility without a permit causing spontaneous combustion fires, polluted neighborhoods with clouds of dust and released fuel and used oil into the ground.
"Photos show how car engines were simply tossed into a dumpster with motor oil and fluids draining out the bottom onto the ground," Scully said.
It's just the latest legal issue for the Sacramento County recycler.
Five employees, including the owner, already face criminal charges after an undercover investigation in April. Police say they were accepting stolen metal and paying cash on the spot.
"They felt like if they didn't comply with the law they could increase their business and the results speak here today," Sacramento Police Lt. Justin Eklund said.
When CBS13 tried to track down owner Bryan Wilson, employees gave us the runaround and claimed they hadn't heard about the lawsuit.
"I don't know anything about that," one employee said.
The DA's office says if River City refuses to clean up its mess, the business could face daily fines of up to $25,000.
"This lawsuit will hopefully put all recyclers on notice that in Sacramento County at least, we are prepared to make sure they follow the laws," Scully said.
The DA's office says it isn't trying shut the business down, but instead to bring it into compliance with the law, ending the environmental problems and leveling the playing field for its competitors.
