Vernon, CA – Alabama-based trucking firm Wiley Sanders Truck Lines, Inc. has been slapped with a hefty $3 million penalty for the illegal and reckless transportation of hazardous, lead-contaminated waste from the notorious Exide Technologies battery recycling plant in Vernon, California. The company pleaded guilty in February 2019 to three felony counts of violating the Hazardous Material Transportation Act and was sentenced on June 10, 2019, to a three-year probationary period.
The case, investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division and the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General, revealed a pattern of negligent practices. Between November 2013 and March 2014, Wiley Sanders knowingly transported over 64 tons (128,840 pounds) of wet, lead-contaminated plastic chips from the Exide facility to a reprocessing plant in Bakersfield. These chips, a byproduct of the battery recycling process, were rinsed with water, leaving them saturated and prone to leakage.
Court documents detail that the company deliberately used trailers without proper lining or containment, allowing lead-contaminated residue to spill onto public roadways during transport. Drivers routinely carried the semi-trailers before the chips had sufficiently dried, exacerbating the leakage problem. The EPA emphasizes that there is *no* known safe level of lead exposure, making the company’s actions particularly egregious. The Exide facility, once processing approximately 40,000 lead-acid batteries daily, has a long history of environmental violations and community health concerns.
Legal Ramifications & Penalties
Wiley Sanders violated 49 U.S.C. 5124(a) of the Hazardous Material Transportation Act. As part of the sentencing, the company was ordered to pay a $1.5 million fine – the statutory maximum – and an additional $1.5 million in community service. This community service payment will be directed to the Exide Residential Assistance Fund, managed by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, to support residents impacted by decades of lead contamination stemming from the Exide plant.
Exide Legacy & Ongoing Cleanup
The Wiley Sanders case is intertwined with the larger saga of Exide Technologies. In 2015, Exide reached a separate agreement with the U.S. government, mandating the closure of the Vernon facility and a $50 million commitment to clean up the site and surrounding neighborhoods. The contamination has plagued local communities for years, and the cleanup efforts are ongoing. This recent sentencing of Wiley Sanders serves as a further attempt to hold accountable those who contributed to the environmental and public health crisis.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Wiley Sanders Truck Lines, Inc.
- Crime: Illegal transportation of hazardous materials (lead-contaminated plastic battery chips)
- Location: Vernon to Bakersfield, California
- Year: 2019
- Amount of Hazardous Waste Transported: 64.42 tons (128,840 pounds)
- Statute Violated: 49 U.S.C. 5124(a) – Hazardous Material Transportation Act
- Penalty: $3 million ( $1.5M fine + $1.5M community service to Exide Residential Assistance Fund)
- Probation: 3 years
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control assisted in the investigation, highlighting the collaborative effort to address environmental crimes and protect public health. Authorities hope this case sends a strong message that the illegal and unsafe transportation of hazardous materials will not be tolerated.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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