NOBODY!
>> THAT'S WHAT TARGET 12
WORKING ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
COMBINED PROUD YOU AND THE
RECYCLE BINS.
>> DUMP THEM ALL IN ONE STOP.
>> A PROMINENT HOMEOWNER SHARE
THAT VIDEO WITH US HE TELLS 12
NEWS THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME
HE HAS COMPLAINED TO THE CITY
THAT A DUMP TRUCK IS MIXING
TRASH AND RECYCLING TOGETHER
TALKING 12 INVESTIGATOR TIM
WHITE IS HERE NOW WITH THE
DETAILS. SEPARATING RECYCLING
FROM GARBAGE IS NOT ONLY THE
RESPONSIBLE THING TO DO MANY
COMMUNITIES PUNISH HOMEOWNERS
WHO FAILED TO DO IT.
>> THIS IS VIDEO FROM A
SECURITY CAMERA ON TANDEM
STREET IN PROVIDENCE YOU CAN
SEE A GARBAGE TRUCK OPERATED
BY PRIVATE COMPANY WASTE
MANAGEMENT. WATCH AS THE TRUCK
FIRST EMPTIES GREEN TRASH BINS
BLUE RECYCLING BIN THE TRUCK
ROLLS DOWN THE STREET
CONTINUING TO MIX TRASH AND
RECYCLING. IT'S FRUSTRATING
YOU KNOW I WANTED TO FAMILY
HOME MY HUSBAND AND I LIVES.
>> IN ONE UNIT, WE HAVE
TENANTS AND THE OTHER WE SPEND
ALL WEEK LONG RECYCLING.
SEPARATING TRASH FOR
RECYCLABLES PROVIDENCE HOME
OWNER PETER O'HARA CLAIMS THIS
HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 3 YEARS
USUALLY AFTER A HOLIDAY WHEN
THE NEIGHBORHOODS, NORMAL
TRASH DAY IS PUSHED FROM
FRIDAY TO SATURDAY. IT MAKES
YOU WONDER WHY DID WE SPEND
ALL THIS TIME DOING WHAT
RESPONSIBLE CITY CITIZENS OF
YOU KNOW THE CITY OF
PROVIDENCE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
WHEN THEY'RE JUST GOING TO
COMMON DUMPED EVERYTHING IN
THE SAME TRUCK, PROVIDENCE
TAXPAYERS PAY PRIVATE COMPANY
WASTE MANAGEMENT 6.7 MILLION
DOLLARS A YEAR TO MANAGE
RECYCLING AND TRASH COLLECTION
WE DO ABOUT IT.
>> I KNOW WE CALL THEM OUT ON
COMING ON AND WE YOU KNOW WE
WANT SOME ACCOUNTABILITY IN
TERMS OF YOU KNOW THAT THIS
DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE FUTURE
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
DIRECTOR LEO PRADA SAYS HE
REACHED OUT TO WASTE
MANAGEMENT AFTER TARGET 12
RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
VIDEO BURRATA SAYS THE COMPANY
TOLD HIM THIS WAS A ONE OFF.
DO I BELIEVE THAT.
>> NOT SO SURE BELIEVE THAT,
BUT THAT'S THE EXPLANATION WE
WERE GIVEN.
>> BUT THEY KNOW THAT WE'RE
VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE
SITUATION WHEN A RECYCLING
TRUCK ARRIVES AT THE RHODE
ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY IN
JOHNSTON IT IS INSPECTED
TRASHES DISCOVERED MIXED IN
WITH CANS AND CARDBOARD. THE
LOAD IS REJECTED IN THE CITY
IS CHARGED UP HER TON TRASH
FEE AND FINED $250. A TARGET
12 PROJECTED LOADS FOUND IT'S
BEEN COSTLY FOR TAXPAYERS IN
2017 THE CITY PAY JUST OVER
$700,000 IN FINES AND FEES
THAT DIPPED TO 600,000 IN
FISCAL 2019 IN FISCAL 2020,
TAXPAYERS DISHED OUT MORE THAN
1 MILLION DOLLARS FOR REJECTED
LOTE ALSO AT PLAY IS THE PER
TON COST FOR TRASH HAS GONE UP
IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. WE
CHECKED IN A CITY SPOKESPERSON
CONFIRMED THE TRUCK ON THIS
VIDEO DID NOT PASS RECYCLING
INSPECTION AT THE MATERIALS
RECYCLING FACILITY FOR THAT
DAY AND WAS FINED. A
SPOKESPERSON FOR WASTE
MANAGEMENT TELLS TARGET 12 THE
COMPANY DID NOT INSTRUCTED
STAFF TO COMMINGLE THE WASTE
ADDING WE ARE TAKING THIS
COMPLAINT VERY SERIOUSLY AND
HAVE REVIEWED RELATED POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES WITH OUR
EMPLOYEES WEATHER HAS
PENALTIES TO BE PAID IN THE
FUTURE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE WILL DISCUSS WITH THEM, BUT
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T
TOLERATE ALL RUN.
>> BECAUSE KNOW IT'S SENDING
THE WRONG MESSAGE PROMINENT
HOME OWNERS CAN BE FINED
HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IF THEY
FAIL TO PROPERLY SEPARATE THE
TRASH COMING UP NEW AT 6. WE
TAKE A LOOK AT HOW MUCH THE
(HE)
NOW TO A TARGET 12
INVESTIGATORS' EXCLUSIVE:
GOING TO WASTE.
(MM)
AT FIVE----- WE REVEALED HOW A
CITY GARBAGE TRUCK WAS CAUGHT ON
CAMERA
RECYCLING------- AS IT ROLLED
DOWN A PROVIDENCE NEIGHBORHOOD.
CITY HOMEOWNERS ARE FINED-----
IF *THEY* FAIL TO SEPARATE THEIR
TRASH FROM RECYCLING.
(HE)
NEW AT SIX --- WE EXAMINE HOW
MUCH THE CITY HAS COLLECTED IN
THESE FEES IN THE LAST YEAR.
TARGET 12 INVESTIGATOR TIM WHITE
IS HERE NOW WITH WHAT WE'VE
LEARNED.
A PROVIDENCE HOMEOWNER CAPTURED
THIS VIDEO OF A GARBAGE TRUCK
MIXING TRASH AND RECYCLING.
HE CLAIMS THIS HAS BEEN
HAPPENING FOR ROUGHLY THREE
YEARS, MAINLY AFTER HOLIDAYS
WHEN THE TRASH PICK UP SCHEDULE
IS COMPRESSED.
THIS VIDEO FROM A SECURITY
CAMERA ON TANDEM STREET IN
PROVIDENCE,
YOU CAN SEE A GARBAGE TRUCK
OPERATED BY PRIVATE COMPANY
WATCH AS THE TRUCK FIRST EMPTIES
GREEN TRASH BINS INTO ITS HOLD.
THEN DUMPS A BLUE RECYCLING BIN.
THE TRUCK CONTINUES DOWN THE
STREET CONTINUING TO MIX TRASH
AND RECYCLING.
it makes you wonder why did we
spend all this time doing what
responsible city citizens of the
city of Providence and dump
everything in the same truck.
PROVIDENCE TAXPAYERS PAY PRIVATE
COMPANY WASTE MANAGEMENT
TO MANAGE RECYCLING AND TRASH
COLLECTION.
What was your reaction?
Um, it's a bit disconcerting.
PROVIDENCE D-P-W DIRECTOR LEO
PERROTTA SAYS THE CITY
COMPANY AFTER TARGET 12 RAISED
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE VIDEO.
We're going to hold them
responsible for this and whether
there's penalties to be paid in
the future, that's something
that we will discuss with them,
but it's something that we can't
tolerate on our end because you
know it's sending the wrong
message.
AND IT'S PRICEY
IF A TRUCK FAILS INSPECTION AT
RHODE ISLAND RESOURCE RECOVERY
BECAUSE TRASH AND RECYCLING ARE
MIXED, THE CITY PAYS A PER-TON
FEE, AND A 250 DOLLAR FINE.
AND PROPERTY OWNERS CAN TAKE IT
ON THE CHIN TWICE.
CITY INSPECTORS ROUTINELY GO OUT
AND INSPECT BINS.
IF THEY FIND TRASH MIXES IN WITH
RECYCLING
HOMEOWNERS MAY HAVE TO PAY A
FINE.
We've seen all sorts of things.
Sometimes it's because a person
feels like they don't have
enough room in their trash can.
Sometimes it's just pure
laziness. Sometimes it's
ignorance to the law.
FINES START AT A WARNING FOR THE
FIRST OFFENSE, 50 DOLLARS FOR
THE SECOND, THEN 100 DOLLARS OR
MORE FOR REPEATED OFFENSES.
DATA FOUND:
MORE THAN 33-HUNDREDS CITATIONS
WERE ISSUED IN FISCAL 2020
RESULTING IN 160 THOUSAND
DOLLARS IN FINES.
So they fine you if you put the
recyclables in with your trash
they also fine you if you have
things in your recyclable bin
that are not actually recyclable
like plastic bags and that kind
of stuff. But then they'll just
come and dump it all on the same
truck anyway.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR WASTE
MANAGEMENT TELLS ME THEY DID NOT
DIRECT THEIR STAFF TO DUMP TRASH
AND RECYCLING IN THE SAME TRUCK
ADDING:
"We are taking this complaint
very seriously and have reviewed
related policies and procedures
with our employees."
WITH THE TARGET 12 INVESTIGATORS
TIM WHITE 12 NEWS.
(MM)
OUR TARGET 12 EXCLUSIVE IN THE
TRASH CONTINUES ON THE WEB...
WE HAVE A FULL BREAKDOWN OF HOW
MUCH PROVIDENCE HAS PAID IN
RECYCLING FEES IN RECENT