In the fall of 2004, there was a terrible garbage fire at a grossly overloaded waste transfer site on Keele Street in Vaughan, Ontario. The fire burned for days, sending choking smoke through neighbouring residences and schools. Huge amounts of public and private money were spent to fight the fire and to clean up the mess, and legal proceedings have dragged on ever since.
310 Waste Ltd., 2020700 Ontario Inc., 2020780 Ontario Inc. and Rail Cycle Incorporated were involved in the processing and transfer site for solid non-hazardous industrial and commercial waste. Robert Sansone and Edmon Hanna were in charge of overall waste disposal operations at the site and Guido Titton was the on-site operations manager. Edomon Hanna was also a Director of 2020700 Ontario Inc. and 2020780 Ontario Inc.
They were all convicted of a series of environmental offences following a trial in 2008, but appealed their convictions and were granted a new trial.
In June 2011, following the new trial, the companies and individuals were again convicted of causing or permitting the discharge of contaminants, namely smoke and odour, into the environment, as a result of the fire. Sentencing has dragged on ever since. In August 2012, 310 Waste Ltd., 2020700 Ontario Inc., 2020780 Ontario Inc. and Rail Cycle Incorporated were fined a total of $1,100,000 plus the victim fine surcharges of $275,000. They were given 60 days to pay the fines, but probably haven’t done so.
Last month, Mr. Hanna, Mr. Sansone and Mr. Titton were fined a total of $47,000 plus the victim fine surcharges of $11,750 and were given 15 days to pay the fines. All three individuals were also sentenced to 11 days in jail.