You may have read the article about an electronics recycler abandoning approximately 1.8 million pounds of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) in a 9,000 square foot structure in Akron, Iowa. The CRTs in the storage building date back more than a decade. It was one of several abandoned warehouses of CRTs used by the company. The US EPA identified the facility as a Superfund Site under CERCLA, and they remediated the site in 2022 at a cost of $1.3 million.
To recoup these costs, the EPA reached out to any company that could be tied to the waste pile. While two other recyclers were found to have sent the bulk of the CRT waste, there were a handful of other processors who were identified with markings on some gaylord boxes at the site.
Cascade was contacted by the US EPA earlier this year because one of our labels from CRTs we generated in January 2009 was on one of the gaylord boxes they found at the site. At that time, Cascade was sending our CRTs to an approved and audited domestic recycler which separated the CRT glass into leaded and non-leaded glass cullet for recycling. We confirmed with this recycler that they received and processed the materials associated with the label for us, which we paid them to do. Shipping records confirm the delivery of the materials. A copy of our Certification of Recycling from this processor for this bin of materials is also on file at our facility.
The reason Cascade’s label showed up at the site is because our recycler admitted to not removing the label before they shipped out the empty gaylord for other recyclers to reuse. It is a common practice in the industry to reuse shipping containers and there can often be labels or imprints left on boxes from previous uses. Our recycler has taken responsibility for the mishap and knows that any labels from Cascade need to be removed from containers once the equipment inside has been processed.
The EPA offered any entity tied to the site that had less than 1.0% of the total material to enter into a De Minimis settlement agreement to limit any further liability for the site. The settlement payment from Cascade amounted to $990, which we determined to be a minimal cost to resolve this matter. Cascade’s recycler that failed to remove our label from this empty box has already reimbursed us for this fee. As part of the settlement, we do not admit any wrongdoing in this matter. Unfortunately, the EPA was not able to remove our name “easily” from the initial claim even though our recycler explained how our label ended up at the Superfund site.
Cascade has fully cooperated with the US EPA on this matter and supports its efforts to clean up this hazardous waste site. We are committed to following the law and taking responsibility for our actions. By working collaboratively with our downstream CRT recycler, we were able to get to the bottom of this issue and protect our clients’ interests and reputation.
If you would like to learn more about this issue and Cascade’s involvement, feel free to contact Cascade’s President, Neil Peters-Michaud.