$1.3 Million Penalty to LeaLand Inc. for Solid Waste Violations at its Landfill in Carlsbad

May 5, 2008

$1.3 Million Penalty to LeaLand Inc. for Solid Waste Violations at its Landfill in Carlsbad

Environment Department Issues Compliance Order with $1.3 Million Penalty to LeaLand Inc. for Solid Waste Violations at its Landfill in Carlsbad

(Santa Fe, N.M. 5/5/08) The New Mexico Environment Department issued an Administrative Compliance Order with penalties of $1.3 million to Lea Land Inc. in Carlsbad for violating its permit and state Solid Waste Rules by accepting hazardous waste and asbestos at the landfill.
That waste included 137 truckloads of hazardous waste including coated metal siding ontaining lead and 144 truckloads of regulated asbestos waste including asbestos-cement siding.

Landfill workers and managers violated solid waste regulations designed to protect the environment and residents, said Environmental Protection Division Director Jim Norton. This company also failed to monitor potential impacts solid waste at the facility to groundwater.
Robert G. Hall is the President of Lea Land, Inc. and the landfill is operated by General Manager Kinneth Slaughter. The department discovered the violations after receiving a citizens complaint alleging the unlawful disposal of asbestos waste at the landfill. The departments Solid Waste Bureau investigated the complaint and found that regulated hazardous and asbestos waste were generated during the demolition of several facilities belonging to Intrepid Potash – New Mexico, LLC. The department also found that waste was transported to the landfill by Tripod, Inc., a commercial hauler.

The bureaus investigation also revealed that the landfill denied department staff entry to the facility to inspect, failed to properly cover and compact solid waste and failed on numerous occasions to conduct required groundwater monitoring. That monitoring ensures the rotection of the groundwater and the integrity of the disposal cell’s geosynthetic liner. The order requires the company, which has a state permit to accept industrial solid wastes, to cap its current disposal cell and pay the civil penalty. The company has 30 days to request a hearing and submit a response to the alleged violations.

For more information, call Marissa Stone at (505) 827-0314 or (505) 231-0475.