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A Maryland man found guilty of dumping more than 100 cans of paint has been ordered to pay a fine and perform community service, according to authorities.
Todd A. Beans, 21, of Riva, MD, pleaded guilty Tuesday (Jan. 22) to illegally dumping 109 containers of latex paint along Anne Arundel County highways, Maryland's Office of the Attorney General reported.
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Baltimorecountymd.gov |
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More than 100 paint cans were dumped along county highways in the case.
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Beans was sentenced to a 30-day jail sentence that was suspended and ordered to pay a $500 fine and perform 100 hours of community service for dumping the paint waste. He was also placed on probation for one year, the attorney general's office said.
Authorities said Beans had been hired by an Edgewater, MD-based painting contractor to transport frozen paint to a local landfill.
"We can protect the health and safety of our environment by properly disposing of pollutants such as paint," said Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler. "This is a great example of what happens when residents report environmental hazards and then state and local authorities respond together to address them."
Complaints Spark Investigation
The case dates back to Feb. 9, 2012, when the Anne Arundel County Highways Department responded to illegal dumping complaints at three separate locations in the Riva and Edgewater areas.
Crews found a total of 109 cans of latex paint dumped on the travelled portions of the roadways. The labels on the containers led authorities to the distributors, through which the Maryland Department of the Environment's Emergency Response Division was able to identify the purchaser as being Cypress Paint Systems, the attorney general's office said.
Investigation by the Attorney General’s Environmental Crimes Unit further revealed that Cypress’ owners had hired Beans to transport paint that had become frozen to a local landfill for $150.
Beans allegedly returned to the office claiming that he had taken care of the unwanted paint and collected the money.
After the company was advised of the dumping, Beans admitted responsibility.
Cypress Paint Systems did not return a call for more information.
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