BALLICO, Calif.—California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has reached a settlement agreement with Golden By-Products Inc. that forgives most of the $965,000 fine the agency had proposed against the tire recycling company.
CalRecycle approved the settlement Oct. 13, two days before the agency was supposed to begin a hearing at its headquarters over the proposed fine.
In November 2013 and March 2014, CalRecycle and Merced County inspectors found waste tires on Golden By-Products property amounting to several times the 150,000 passenger tire equivalents allowed under the permit CalRecycle granted the company.
Under the order, by Dec. 2 Ballico-based Golden By-Products must reduce the whole waste tires on its property to no more than 1,000 tons, or face an automatic $50,000 penalty. The amount of altered—chipped or crumbed—tires must not exceed 6,500 tons, CalRecycle said.
The agreement states that Golden By-Products has agreed to send CalRecycle weekly updates on incoming and outgoing scrap tires, and to notify the agency within 24 hours of any major accident, fire or event causing substantial downtime at the site.
Golden By-Products will not be allowed to accept any more scrap tires until CalRecycle inspectors ascertain that the company is meeting specified storage limits and regulations, according to the settlement. The company will make periodic payments to CalRecycle totaling $200,000 and pay an automatic partial default penalty of $10,000 if it misses a payment, the document said.
Golden By-Products is a scrap tire hauler and recycler that supplies rubber mulch, tire-derived fuel and crumb rubber for rubberized asphalt, athletic fields, etc.