Gershow Recycling paying $555G to settle EPA pollution case, Feds say

A Long Island recycling company accused of violating the Clean Air Act by failing to install pollution controls or properly report emissions at its Medford facility to the EPA will pay a $555,000 civil penalty as part of a proposed settlement with the federal agency.

Gershow Recycling Corp., which was founded in 1964 and has nine locations on Long Island and in Brooklyn, shreds automobiles and other metals at its Medford location. That shredding vaporizes plastics, paints and oils, creating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants that impact the environment, officials said.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2021 issued Gershow a violation for allegedly breaching the Clean Air Act, established in 1963 to prevent and regulate pollution. Authorities on Tuesday announced the proposed settlement, filed in Brooklyn federal court.

As part of the agreement, Gershow also will install "critical emission control technology that will help improve air quality for local communities, including those with the most vulnerable residents,” said Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, in a statement.
 

 The agreement can be finalized after a 30-day public comment period.

Gershow spokesman John Zaher said in an emailed statement Tuesday that the company "takes pride in its 60-year commitment to Long Island's environment."

"Even though the company felt it had a strong defense, we decided to settle with the EPA rather than enter into an expensive, drawn-out legal battle," Zaher said. "As a result of this agreement, Gershow will be among the first companies in the U.S. to install VOC controls."

The company’s website says it is “one of Long Island’s oldest and most successful environmental companies.”

Federal authorities allege the company did not install equipment that mitigates the pollution created by its industrial activities or properly report its air emissions. The Medford facility has the ability to emit at least 25 tons of VOCs every year, authorities said. VOCs are typically human-made chemicals and can easily be released into the air, according to the EPA.

EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said breathing air with high VOC levels can cause lung issues and is especially dangerous for people with underlying conditions like asthma.

"This proposed settlement ensures that the company installs proper pollution controls at the facility and meets environmental requirements," Garcia said in a statement. 

Under the settlement, Gershow is required to install and operate equipment designed to control the release of VOCs. Federal officials estimate the equipment will prevent over 49 tons of VOC air emissions annually and reduce ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant which is created when VOCs interact with sunlight.

The company will also be fined daily if it does not pay the civil penalty or comply with the stipulations of the agreement, federal authorities said.

Previously, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined Gershow $14,500 in 2021 after an employee closing a roll-off container door of an off-road truck was struck in the head and killed.

Neighbors have also complained about air quality, noise and fires at the sit e,  Newsday reported. 

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ