The Qui Tam Team

February 23, 2010

Clifton Park-based County Waste will pay the Town of Colonie, New York nearly $1 million to resolve allegations that the company understated the amount of waste it disposed of in the town and neglected to meet state environmental permitting requirements.

Through investigations by the New York AG’s office, County Waste was found to have submitted vouchers that underreported the amount of waste delivered to the town’s landfill, in turn undercutting the amount of money the company owed and paid the town. County Waste also accepted potentially putrid solid waste at its transfer station without meeting certification requirements to accept such waste.

“County Waste undercut its financial obligations to the Town of Colonie and ignored its environmental protection obligations to the state and its residents,” said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. “Scams like this not only potentially impact the environment, but also taxpayers who have to bear the brunt of lost revenue”.

County Waste and Scott Earl, County Waste President, must pay a total of $986,186––$736,186 is being paid to resolve the submission of false weight slips to the Town of Colonie as well as $250,000 in fines and penalties to the state for accepting waste without a proper permit. The whistleblower in the case, former County Waste manager Ralph Hunter, will receive a total of $163,651 from the above amounts.

The amount of the settlement pales in comparison to some of the figures publicly discussed. In July of 2008, the Attorney General began investigating a $15 million claim made against County Waste.

The settlement is the result of a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the New York State False Claims Act. This settlement is the first case brought under the New York State False Claims Act that is not related to Medicaid fraud.

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