Press Release  MassDEP Fines G. Mello Disposal $117,300 for Solid Waste Management Violations Involving its Georgetown Facilities

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $117,300 penalty to G. Mello Disposal Corp. for violations of the state Solid Waste Management regulations involving the operation of the company’s existing waste management facility in Georgetown and the permitting of a new facility in town.

The company has operated the facility at 203 East Main Street since 1984, collecting solid waste, as well as construction and demolition debris, and then transferring those materials for off-site recycling and disposal. The most recent permit limits the tonnage of waste to 50 tons-per-day average and a maximum of 60 ton-per-day, with a limit of 18,150 tons total per year.

Following a facility inspection, MassDEP reviewed facility tonnage reports for November and December 2022 and found that the facility had exceeded the 60 ton-per-day limit for 34 days during those two months in violation of their permit.

On July 21, 2021, the company finalized a consent order with MassDEP to resolve previous compliance issues at the existing site and agreed to obtain a valid Authorization to Operate its proposed new facility at 46 Carleton Drive in Georgetown by July 31, 2022. The company failed to meet the required deadline and Mello’s application for facility design remains incomplete. 

In a consent order with MassDEP, the company must operate within the tonnage limits outlined in its permits, ensure all incoming waste is stored within the covered structure and not accumulated outside, and provide monthly tonnage reports and a yearly tonnage report to MassDEP and the Georgetown Board of Health. MassDEP has also set dates for the company to submit permit applications to the agency for the construction and operation of the new facility and the subsequent closure of the existing facility. Finally, the company must pay $40,000 of the assessed penalty, with the remainder suspended if consent order requirements are met and there are no further violations.

“Solid waste management regulations are on the books to protect the environment and the local community and ensure a level playing field when it comes to waste disposal,” said Eric Worrall, director of MassDEP’s Northeast Regional Office in Woburn. “MassDEP will continue to advocate for the proper handling, disposal and recycling of waste materials at sites designated for those activities.”

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

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