Madison Heights, MI – The owner of Electro-Plating Service Inc. (EPS), Gary Sayers, spent a year in federal prison in 2020 for illegally storing hazardous waste at his Michigan facility, leaving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a hefty cleanup bill. Sayers, 63, was sentenced after years of dodging state and federal regulations regarding the proper disposal of dangerous chemical byproducts from his metal plating business.
Electro-Plating Service Inc., located in Madison Heights, utilized a range of hazardous materials – including cyanide, chromium, nickel, chloride, trichloroethylene, and various strong acids and bases – in its plating processes. Once these chemicals became spent and unusable, they were legally classified as hazardous waste, triggering strict requirements under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Instead of adhering to these regulations, Sayers opted for a cheaper, and ultimately criminal, alternative: accumulating the waste on-site in a dangerously negligent manner.
Investigators discovered that Sayers had been storing the hazardous waste in numerous drums and containers, and shockingly, in an unlined pit dug directly into the lower level of the EPS building. This practice posed a significant threat to both human health and the environment, risking potential contamination of soil, groundwater, and nearby communities. For years, Sayers reportedly resisted efforts by Michigan’s environmental regulators to compel him to properly manage the accumulating waste, prolonging the dangerous situation.
Superfund Cleanup & Legal Repercussions
The EPA’s Superfund program was ultimately forced to intervene, incurring costs of $1,449,963.94 to safely remove, transport, and dispose of the illegally stored hazardous waste. The cleanup was extensive and necessary to mitigate the long-term environmental damage caused by Sayers’s deliberate disregard for the law. The financial burden of this remediation fell squarely on the shoulders of taxpayers.
On February 14, 2019, both Sayers and Electro-Plating Service Inc. pleaded guilty to a federal felony violation of 42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(2)(A), specifically concerning the unlawful storage of hazardous waste. The Honorable Stephen J. Murphy presided over the case. In November 2019, Sayers was sentenced to one year in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. EPS was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution of $1,449,963.94, jointly and severally with Sayers, to the EPA.
Looking Ahead
This case serves as a stark reminder of the critical importance of adhering to environmental regulations and the severe consequences that await those who prioritize profit over public safety and environmental stewardship. The EPA continues to aggressively pursue enforcement actions against individuals and companies who violate RCRA, aiming to deter future offenses and protect communities from the dangers of hazardous waste.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Gary Sayers & Electro-Plating Service Inc.
- Location: Madison Heights, Michigan
- Year: 2020 (Sentencing)
- Crime: Illegal storage of hazardous waste
- Statute Violated: 42 U.S.C. 6928(d)(2)(A) – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
- Penalties: Gary Sayers – 1 year prison, 3 years supervised release. EPS – 5 years probation, $1,449,963.94 restitution.
- Cleanup Cost: $1,449,963.94 (funded by EPA’s Superfund program)
- Hazardous Materials: Cyanide, chromium, nickel, chloride, trichloroethylene, acids, and bases.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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