A Gardnerville businessman is facing federal environmental charges for operating an auto dismantling business and an unpermitted illegal waste disposal site on Washoe land in the Pine Nuts.
Reed Skenandore is being charged by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with violating federal law governing the safe handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste.
According to the EPA, Skenandore's 80-acre site has waste from the on-site dismantling of automobiles and large quantities of waste accepted from off site. Wastes included abandoned automobiles, trailers, tires, car batteries, construction waste, used oil, used appliances, televisions and computer monitors, waste paint, and aerosol cans.
"Open dumping is a problem in Indian Country and other rural areas with limited access to solid waste management programs," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest region. "When individuals choose to operate facilities that promote open dumping and the illegal disposal of hazardous waste, EPA will hold them accountable by vigorously enforcing federal laws to protect communities and the environment from harm."
There are more than 1,400 inventoried open dumps in Indian Country in the Pacific Southwest. With EPA assistance, tribes have closed or cleaned up more than 500 sites in the past three decades. EPA works closely with the Indian Health Service and tribes to identify sites for cleanup. EPA funding supports the development of tribal waste management programs as well as the cleanup and closure of open dump sites.
EPA's administrative complaint alleges that Skenandore violated the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by:
• Open dumping of solid waste;
• Open burning of solid waste;
• Failing to notify EPA of its waste handling activity and to apply for an EPA identification number;
• Failing to label containers of used oil; and
• Failure to respond to releases of oil to the environment.
EPA can assess a civil penalty of up to $37,500 per day, per violation.
