By Rick Earle:
11 Investigates has learned that the Department of Environmental Protection has issued a hefty fine against the City of Pittsburgh for violating regulations dealing with handling trash.
Chief Investigator Rick Earle uncovered the violations and attempted to get them from the city, but the city refused to release them unless Earle filed a Right To Know request.
Earle then went to the DEP and they agreed to release the reports.
Earle showed the pictures to Pittsburgh City Councilmember Barb Warwick, who oversees the Dept. of Public Works.
Warwick acknowledged that it’s not a good look.
“No it’s not and I’m a real litter, I love to pick up litter,” said Warwick.
The DEP began conducting inspections at the Public Works divisions last year.
The most recent inspection was in April of this year.
The DEP has cited the city for mishandling municipal waste, conducting transfer station activities without a permit and handling waste contrary to regulations.
Among the accusations, city workers dumped municipal garbage on the ground before putting it in a dumpster.
DPW Director Chris Hornstein said the city routinely dumped municipal waste from street and park trash cans on the ground at the divisions and then used a high lift to scoop the garbage into roll-off dumpsters.
He admitted that the trash was left on the ground.
The DEP photos showed pictures of garbage on the ground and rainwater runoff from the trash.
Source: 11 Investigates Exclusive: City of Pittsburgh facing fine for trash violations
