Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued a $24,000 fine to American Salvage, Inc. for dumping mercury waste. Becca Bartleson reports.

The company dumped over 8000 pounds of contaminated waste at Rogue Disposal in Medford. And now they’ll have to pay the price.

American Salvage officials say they were unaware that broken fluorescent light bulbs are considered hazardous material.

The waste was left by their evicted tenants, a bankrupt recycling company.

DEQ lawyer Sarah Wheeler is working with American Salvage on the case.

She says it’s important everyone knows how to correctly dispose of fluorescent bulbs.

Sarah Wheeler: "These fluorescent lamps are pretty prevalent everywhere and there's a special set of rules that apply to people who generate lots of them. When they break the mercury is released to the air and people can inhale that and it's toxic to living organisms and so that's why we regulate it so carefully."

American Salvage President Howard Kimmel says his company was stuck with this mess and is cleaning it up.

The company and DEQ are still negotiating.