The Environmental Protection Agency said Wednesday it has filed an administrative complaint and compliance order against EarthEcycle. The agency said it wasn't notified of cathode-ray tube export
s the embattled electronic equipment recycler made to Hong Kong. EarthEcycle, based in Tulsa, Okla., recently was alleged to have shipped electronic equipment abroad for extracting hazardous metals, which endangers workers in China and Africa. The equipment had been collected in March at two Pittsburgh-area charities' fundraisers. The claims against EarthEcycle were made by the e-waste watchdog group, Basel Action Network. BAN, based in Seattle, traced seven EarthEcycle containers from equipment collection drives sponsored in March by the Washington County Humane Society, and by Allegheny County and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Jeff Nixon, EarthEcycle's CEO, could not be reached yesterday. But a phone message said he was "tending to EPA investigative reports until completely satisfied." CRTs, or cathode-ray tubes, in televisions or computer monitors can contain more than 6 pounds of lead. Lead is known to cause brain damage in children. If EarthEcycle cannot settle the case with the EPA, it could be subject to unspecified penalties and criminal sanctions, according to the agency's Web site. For example, the EPA fined a California company $32,500 in July for exporting a container with 441 CRTs to Hong Kong.
s the embattled electronic equipment recycler made to Hong Kong. EarthEcycle, based in Tulsa, Okla., recently was alleged to have shipped electronic equipment abroad for extracting hazardous metals, which endangers workers in China and Africa. The equipment had been collected in March at two Pittsburgh-area charities' fundraisers. The claims against EarthEcycle were made by the e-waste watchdog group, Basel Action Network. BAN, based in Seattle, traced seven EarthEcycle containers from equipment collection drives sponsored in March by the Washington County Humane Society, and by Allegheny County and the Western Pennsylvania Humane Society. Jeff Nixon, EarthEcycle's CEO, could not be reached yesterday. But a phone message said he was "tending to EPA investigative reports until completely satisfied." CRTs, or cathode-ray tubes, in televisions or computer monitors can contain more than 6 pounds of lead. Lead is known to cause brain damage in children. If EarthEcycle cannot settle the case with the EPA, it could be subject to unspecified penalties and criminal sanctions, according to the agency's Web site. For example, the EPA fined a California company $32,500 in July for exporting a container with 441 CRTs to Hong Kong.For further details visit at : www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_629046.html
