Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 07/17/03

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Chief Deputy Larry Scoufos Deputy District Attorney: Jeffrey Holtzman, ( 707) 565-3148 Deputy District Attorney: David J. Irey, (209) 468-2470 (San Joaquin County)

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

DISTRICT ATTORNEYS REACH $900,000 SETTLEMENT WITH
ONE OF CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST GREASE HAULING BUSINESSES

District Attorney Stephan R. Passalacqua announced today the settlement of a civil enforcement action charging a large Fresno-based grease hauling business with violations of water pollution laws. The case was based on the work of a statewide taskforce created by the California Environmental Protection Agency to focus enforcement efforts on the illegal disposal of waste grease in California. The complaint was filed in January 2003 in San Joaquin County with the action joined by 12 other counties throughout California including Fresno, Kings, Madera, Merced, Monterey, Sacramento, San Bernardino, Shasta, Solano, Sonoma, Stanislaus, and Tehama Counties. The lead district attorney was the Honorable John Phillips of San Joaquin County.

The complaint alleged that Thrifty Best Service, a company operated by Central California Wastepaper Incorporated, violated provisions of the State Water Code and Fish and Game Code, created a public nuisance and engaged in unfair business practices including false advertising, by illegally dumping inedible kitchen grease into public sewers and storm drains. Ameriguard Maintenance Service, LLC, a successor company to Thrifty Best, was later added to the complaint after Thrifty Best Services ceased doing business in California.

While the defendants did not admit the allegations in the complaint, as part of the civil settlement, Thrifty Best did admit nine counts of contempt for violating restraining orders issued in the case. The $900,000 settlement in the case represents $620,400 in penalties and $279,600 in costs.

The illegal disposal of restaurant grease is a significant statewide problem causing damage to publicly owned sewage treatment facilities, expensive sewer back-ups and damage to the environment including water pollution. Businesses contracting with Thrifty Best for waste grease services expected the company to properly dispose of the waste through sewage treatment plants, rendering plants or recycling facilities and were likely unaware of the alleged unlawful disposals. The complaint alleged that Thrifty Best Service employees violated the law in at least seven incidents occurring in seven different locations ranging from Redding to Rancho Cucamonga.

The District Attorneys joining in today’s filing include:

JOHN D. PHILLIPS District Attorney of San Joaquin County STEPHAN PASSALACQUA District Attorney of Sonoma County ELIZABETH EAGAN District Attorney of Fresno County RONALD L. CALHOUN District Attorney of Kings County ERNEST J. LICALSI District Attorney of Madera County GORDON SPENCER District Attorney of Merced County DEAN FLIPPO District Attorney of Monterey County

JAN SCULLY District Attorney of Sacramento County MICHAEL RAMOS District Attorney of San Bernardino County GERALD C. BENITO District Attorney of Shasta County DAVID W. PAULSON District Attorney of Solano County JAMES C. BRAZELTON District Attorney of Stanislaus County GREG COHEN District Attorney of Tehama County