Date: January 16, 2013
Source: Environmental Industry Associations
Following the arrest of 32 people in connection to an organized crime scheme to control the commercial waste industry in and around New York City, the National Solid Wastes Management Associations (NSWMA) was quick to issue a statement distancing itself and its members from such practices. "The solid waste industry in New York and New Jersey has a decades-long history of working with law enforcement officials to implement policies to help eliminate elements of organized crime from the industry." Sharon H. Kneiss, NSWMA's President and CEO, stated, "Anyone found guilty of such crimes is not representative of the solid waste and recycling industry." Her concern is that news of the arrests should not "unfairly impugn the reputations of the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding, hard-working solid waste and recycling professionals."
Of the 32 arrested last week, 12 were known members of the Genovese, Gambino and Luchese organized crime families and are being charged with racketeering conspiracy following a multi-year investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The defendants are accused of infiltrating and extorting local waste companies through the threat and use of violence. One of the alleged ring leaders is Carmine "Papa Smurf" Franco, an associate of the Genovese family. He is accused of orchestrating a "property rights" scheme by which waste pickup routes and prices were dictated and companies were "discouraged" from competing with one another on price or service, in effect imposing a criminal tax on businesses and communities that suffered the resulting higher prices. Their efforts were coordinated through the use of "sit-downs" to determine which faction would control a particular waste company and established financial terms by which control of that company could be transferred from one faction to another. Their sphere of influence included several waste hauling companies in Westchester, Rockland and Nassau counties in New York, and in Bergen and Passaic counties in New Jersey.
See also: "32 Arrested in Mob Probe of Waste Business in New York and NJ," (www.wasteinfo.com/news/wbj20130116A.htm), January 16, 2013.
PRESS RELEASE
January 16, 2013
Solid Waste and Recycling Industry Supports Law Enforcement Efforts
Industry has Long Record of Working with Officials to Prevent Ties to Crime
The National Solid Wastes Management Associations (NSWMA) today expressed support for efforts to rid the industry of organized crime. The solid waste industry in New York and New Jersey has a decades-long history of working with law enforcement officials to implement policies to help eliminate elements of organized crime from the industry.
Sharon H. Kneiss, NSWMA's President and CEO, stated, "Anyone found guilty of such crimes is not representative of the solid waste and recycling industry. And government officials and media reporting on this story should take care to not unfairly impugn the reputations of the hundreds of thousands of law-abiding, hard-working solid waste and recycling professionals, who keep our communities healthy and clean by collecting and managing our garbage and recyclables. These arrests should not lessen the pride that industry employees feel about their work, handling the increasingly complex solid waste stream."
Kneiss added, "It is vital that we do what is necessary to maintain the integrity and professionalism of our industry. The government should use every tool at its disposal to act against these types of activities."
About the Environmental Industry Associations
The Environmental Industry Associations (EIA) is the trade association that represents the private sector solid waste and recycling services industry through its two sub-associations, the National Solid Wastes Management Association (NSWMA) and the Waste Equipment Technology Association (WASTEC). NSWMA and WASTEC members conduct business in all 50 states and include garbage collectors, processors, recyclers, equipment manufacturers and other service providers. For more information about how innovation in the environmental services industry is helping to solve today's environmental challenges, visit www.environmentalistseveryday.org/environmentalists.
For more information, contact:
Thom Metzger, office/202-364-3751 or tmetzger@envasns.org.
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