Recology is a garbage company based in San Francisco, CA that has facilities all over the West Coast. Formerly called Norcal, the company has a long history of violating government regulations, permits, and environmental laws. Below are just a few of Recology’s transgressions that have outraged many communities over the years. This is a company that cannot be trusted!

Recology’s Executives seem Shady

• Former Vice President of Recology (then Norcal) was under investigation by the FBI for being involved in a conspiracy to influence a county administrative officer to secure a waste management contract. He was sentenced to 18 months and forced to pay $277,000 in fines for his wrongdoings. Recology was forced to pay over $6.5 million to San Bernardino County!
• Recology was accused of violating the state’s Political Reform Act for allegedly setting up an Oregon company called Westencon and using it to launder more than $100,000 to dozens of San Francisco officials, including former supervisor and mayoral candidate John Molinari.
• In 1993 and 1994, Recology pumped more than $1 million into campaigns to block two measures that would have broken its monopoly in San Francisco.
• In Humboldt County, NV, Recology was issued a Conditional Use permit to build a mega landfill on an area prone to high wind erosion, poor soil quality, and within 30 feet of an active aquifer for a well. After having failed to secure the required permitting during the allotted three year time period and after having the Board of Commissioners deny them a five year extension, Recology sued the county and the individual commissioners! The case is in US District Court at this time. To find out more, go to Nevadans Against Garbage http://nolandfill.wordpress.com/

Recology’s Operations appear Nasty

• Since taking over operations in April 2009, Recology’s facility in North Plains, OR has had 69 complaints of foul odor filed with DEQ!
• Most recently, residents of Yuba County, CA are outraged over the proposed expansion of a landfill that Recology lied to them about. Residents fear that the rotten smells, pollution and truck traffic that they currently experience will only worsen.
• At one of the company’s facilities in San Francisco, water discharges were significantly out of compliance with the City and County. On one of the days, the pH was so acidic that the facility was violating Federal regulations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• During an inspection of a Recology facility in 2006, the staff, including one inspector who is an expert in composting activities, stated that they had never before seen such a density of fly populations. The fly populations observed were the Black garbage fly, aka Dump fly—a disease carrying vector that breeds in garbage and other decaying materials.
• In 2001, Recology had to stop accepting wet yard debris and other wet wastes at a location in Spokane, WA because the odors were unbearable to the neighbors nearby. Even with the installation of new technology, the community was still complaining.
• Time and time again, Recology’s facilities are found to be in violation for discharge of solid or liquid waste to surface waters, drainage courses, or groundwater.
• On multiple occasions Recology has been cited by the city or county for excessive off-site odor. During an inspection in 2006, the Local Enforcement Agency suspended operations at a Recology plant due to the creation of a public nuisance and a potential health hazard. This suspension was not appealable.