Revere trash hauler pays $107G fine

REVERE - A month after renegotiating a multi-million dollar contract with the city, Capitol Waste Services, Inc. has paid a federal pollution fine for allowing its trucks to exceed state limitations on idling.

The Environmental Protection Agency fined the East Boston company last July after an EPA inspector observed 100 instances of "excessive idling" by Capitol garbage trucks parked with engines running in a company lot in Revere near local homes.

"Pollution from idling engines contributes to ozone smog, fine particle pollution, and increased carbon dioxide emissions - all of which are critical concerns for people's health and well-being in New England," state EPA regional administrator Robert Varney.

According to the agency, people with asthma or other respiratory and cardiac conditions as well as children are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of breathing in diesel fumes.

In announcing Capitol's fine payment, the EPA called its crackdown on diesel idling a "win-win situation for both fleet owners and the environment" because leaving vehicles idling while they are not moving burns fuel and contributes to engine wear.

Last month, Mayor Thomas Ambrosino said Capitol Waste Services' problem- and complaint-free trash collections prompted him in part to renegotiate a waste pickup contract with the company.

Capitol will be paid $1.6 million for the first year of a three-year contract that will include consumer price index adjustments in the second and third year.

In renewing a city pact with Capitol, Ambrosino rejected a lower bid by Somerville-based Russell Disposal, Inc. to collect local trash. He said Russell bid $1.44 million to collect local trash but said the firm does most of its collections in Belmont and Dracut rather than "dense urban communities" like Revere.

He praised Capitol's track record of hiring union workers but cautioned City Councilors in a Dec. 19 letter that Russell "may pursue legal action" to challenge the city's decision to reject it as the low bidder for the trash contract.

"However, in light of the dual goal of obtaining the highest level of trash service for taxpayers and retaining good local jobs for Revere residents, I believe the decision to renegotiate with Capitol is the most prudent," Ambrosino wrote in the letter.

July 2009

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