Is this what is needed?

Tony Shelton

Tony Shelton

BS Detector, Esquire
Is prosecution the only way to stop the spread of misinformation?

The term "nothing down the drain but rain" originated from within our own industry and has been parroted so much that the government agencies have picked up this false claim and have now adopted it as their own.

Someone needs to be held accountable for this deception. How many reclaim units are sitting unused in storage yards? How many contractors have lost thousands of dollars letting the units go for pennies after a year or two of non-use?

And yet, even now, YOUR representatives - YOUR 20 year + org has installed an environmental co-chair who consistently makes that false claim over and over again and has even gone further to attack the decades old practice of diverting to the sewer system by claiming that doing so will result in all kinds of fines. All while building his own filtration system with the full stated intention of going nationwide with his IMPOSED method of cleaning.

Meanwhile we, in Las Vegas, are allowed by our local governments to dump chemical free wastewater directly down the drain with nothing more than removal of sediment and other contractors in Arizona simply get a storm drain PERMIT. A WHAT? A permit??????? For what???? To dump RAIN?????? Because everyone knows the EPA allows NOTHING BUT RAIN DOWN THE DRAIN!?!? HOGWASH!!!!!

Is prosecution the only thing that is going to work?

It's working with these guys - they are going away for up to 20 years:

[h=1]Trio faces prison time for toilet paper scam[/h]
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Kevin​


By Kevin FitzgeraldNov 27, 2011 - 2 hours ago
3 comments





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West Palm Beach - Three men in Florida could face up to 20 years in prison for taking part in a $1 million toilet paper scam. They conned elderly customers into buying unnecessary toilet paper products.

The Associated Press reports that the men were employees of a septic tank company, and told more than a dozen customers that they would need to buy new toilet paper to avoid ruining their septic tanks. They tried to further beef up their story by adding that the government had changed regulations for septic tanks, although the government does not regulate septic tanks.
According to the Miami Herald, the trio were able to dupe some customers into buying toilet paper products that would supposedly last them more than 70 years.
The three men pleaded guilty to fraud last week in federal court. They will be sentenced in February. Three other employees of the septic tank company are also alleged to have taken part in the scam and are awaiting trial.



Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/315130#ixzz1ewu8eTOj​

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/315130
 
Tony that may be the only way. Problem is the money it would take to prove it and get it charged.

Here is another question, what all the money income that has been lost due to contractors losing existing contracts. For instance, I know of contractor right here in my City that lost a contract because he was cited for "Illegal Discharge to the MS4 not entirely composed of stormwater" yet he the discharge never hit the storm drain. But because the enforcement here has driven it into the business owner that "nothing can go down the drain but rain" that contractor lost the account. $18,000.00 a year contract.
 
Maybe time for a class action lawsuit for the guys that got scammed, ratted out and ripped off by the not-legal actions against them. Not just against Htown but against the rat for stalking, harassing and making it hard to conduct business on a daily basis.
 
Who are you talking about here? For some of us who dont know.
 
There was a contractor that began an education program, that was not based on facts or the law. What happened was they were of the type that wanted 100% recovery, even in areas and times when it was unnecessary. Unfortunately for houston area contractors, the city of Houston believed them, and would take phone calls from the contractor reporting anyone pressure washing in the city. The city began illegal enforcement actions that could conceivably put most contractors in the Houston area out of business. What is more, the City would levy large fines on the contractors. If the contractor had enough money to fight the illegal fines, the city would retract the citation. Most contractors could not afford to pay attorneys, so they would pay the fines.
All in all, it was a very bad situation that was promoted and upheld by the PWNA, however unwitting it may have been. Ron had the foresight to get the regulators to sit down, and reverse the policies to be in compliance with the Clean Water act, at his own expense. Mainly because he was concerned that the same regulations were going to come to other large metropolitan areas.
 
James, anyone who tells you that it's illegal to dump anything but rain down the drain based on the CWA is telling you a fabrication. Whether it be a competitor, a local official, An industry org, An industry environmental chair or co-chair, a neighbor or a talking donkey.

Your local jurisdiction may put that limitation out there, but the EPA does not.
 
That's ok Ty, I just revved up an old thread with a series our newspaper is doing about the murdering bass turds.

BTW, somebody needs an azz beating for the walmart thing. Citizens should have pounded their butts right there in the store. But we're all cowards now. Plus they could shoot us with immunity.

End of hijack.

Carry on with environmental discussion! :)
 
Very well put Scott, Thanks!
 
Thanks Ron for all you did to help out the Houston Contractors, most of them will never know what you did or who you are but we here know. Thanks!
 
Scott Stone said:
There was a contractor that began an education program, that was not based on facts or the law. What happened was they were of the type that wanted 100% recovery, even in areas and times when it was unnecessary. Unfortunately for houston area contractors, the city of Houston believed them, and would take phone calls from the contractor reporting anyone pressure washing in the city. The city began illegal enforcement actions that could conceivably put most contractors in the Houston area out of business. What is more, the City would levy large fines on the contractors. If the contractor had enough money to fight the illegal fines, the city would retract the citation. Most contractors could not afford to pay attorneys, so they would pay the fines.
All in all, it was a very bad situation that was promoted and upheld by the PWNA, however unwitting it may have been. Ron had the foresight to get the regulators to sit down, and reverse the policies to be in compliance with the Clean Water act, at his own expense. Mainly because he was concerned that the same regulations were going to come to other large metropolitan areas.
Click to expand...

I've got a great true story for you that will blow your mind, but first I need to check with the contractor that was ticketed, out of respect, to see if it's ok with him to let me share it. He is to embarrased to.
 
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