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The Missouri Department of Natural Resources issued a news release announcing that it is asking the Missouri Attorney General’s office to pursue civil penalties against a Battlefield couple for violating Missouri’s Hazardous Waste Management law. The department referred Tim and Cathleen Coffman, who operated an electronic scrap — or e-scrap — recycling business out of their home, to the attorney general alleging the two failed to manage cathode ray tubes properly.
This resulted in the cathode ray tubes being regulated as a hazardous waste. The responsible parties failed to register as a hazardous waste generator with the department and improperly handled and disposed of hazardous waste. Cathode ray tubes are found in old television screens and computer monitors and can contain four to eight pounds of lead, among other toxins. Lead can affect almost every organ and system in humans and animals, the news release said. On Dec. 7, 2009, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources inspected the Coffman residence based on a complaint by the city of Battlefield. The inspector observed numerous cathode ray tubes being improperly stored and de-manufactured in the home.
The department issued a notice of violation to the Coffmans due to mismanagement of the cathode ray tubes. The department’s Hazardous Waste Program performed a follow-up inspection and observed the cathode ray tubes had been removed from the site. Inspectors also observed broken cathode ray tube glass in the yard. During the inspection, Mr. Coffman was given a deadline of Feb. 19 to respond with the name and contact information of the individual who transported the cathode ray tubes off-site and to identify the final location of the cathode ray tubes. Coffman agreed to submit this information but has not yet done so.
The department is asking the attorney general to take several actions against the Coffmans: • Require them to identify the name and contact information of the person or people who transported six pallets of cathode ray tubes off-site and where they were taken. • Require them to identify where the six pallets of cathode ray tubes and any broken cathode ray tube glass were taken when they were removed from the Coffman residence. • Require the proper cleanup and disposal of any cathode ray tube glass remaining on the property. • Prohibit them from accepting additional cathode ray tubes. • Pursue a civil penalty.
