Waste Management to pay penalties

HARRISBURG (AP) -- Waste Management Inc. has agreed to pay nearly $2.5 million in penalties for the falsification of records at an Indiana County landfill owned by the company.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection auditors said falsified records were made for 139 days to cover up violations of the maximum daily volume of waste the landfill could accept on 63 days between Jan. 5, 2000, and Aug. 20, 2001.
The violations amounted to 2,533 tons over the allowed limit, the DEP said.
"Waste Management paid all taxes and fees to all state and local municipalities, and this was by and large taking one amount from one day and moving it into the next day," company spokesman Mike Dougherty said.
The landfill manager and scale-house operator at the Evergreen Landfill in Center Township were both fired by the company.
Houston-based Waste Management owns 21 landfills in Pennsylvania.
Waste Management agreed to the settlement this week to avoid a lawsuit in Commonwealth Court, DEP spokeswoman Betsy Mallison said.