For Immediate Release
Date: August 27, 2024

Contact

Michael S. Garrity, Director of Communications
(603) 931-9375 | michael.s.garrity@doj.nh.gov
Melissa F. Fales, Assistant Attorney General, Environmental Protection Bureau
(603) 271-1222 | Melissa.F.Fales@doj.nh.gov

Hammond Grinding and Recycling, Inc. Sentenced for Stockpiling Waste and Submitting False Reports to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Concord, NH – Attorney General John M. Formella announces that Hammond Grinding and Recycling, Inc. (“HGR”) has pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Grafton County Superior Court to felony offenses for submitting false annual reports for reporting years 2021 and 2022 and for failing to report violations of their Solid Waste Facility Permit to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (“NHDES”).

The investigation in this case established that HGR held a solid waste facility permit to accept construction and demolition debris and store up to 300 tons of unprocessed waste at their facility in Orange, New Hampshire. NHDES inspected the facility in June 2023 and discovered approximately 10,000 tons of unprocessed waste stockpiled on site. Company executives admitted they had submitted false annual reporting forms to NHDES so that they would not be caught exceeding their permitted waste limits. The HGR facility was not designed to handle the amount of unprocessed waste on site and the exceedance caused an environmental hazard and fire danger.

After NHDES employees discovered the permit deviations, HGR was cooperative with NHDES and the New Hampshire Department of Justice investigation.

HGR pleaded guilty to four felony charges for violating provisions of RSA 149-M, the Solid Waste Management Act and the accompany administrative rules. The Court sentenced HGR to pay a $25,000 fine on each of the four charges for a total fine of $100,000. The Court suspended $50,000 of the fine for five years contingent on HGR bringing the facility back into compliance with permit limits by lawfully disposing of excess waste and their compliance with all permit conditions and environmental laws during the suspension period. Company President Tamra Hammond and Vice President Fred Hammond each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor offense of Unsworn Falsification -Accomplice Liability for their roles in submitting falsified documents to NHDES. They each received a fine of $1000.00 suspended for two years conditioned on their good behavior and compliance with environmental laws and rules.

This case was investigated by Department of Environmental Services – Solid Waste Management Bureau and Investigator Jim Hodgdon of the Criminal Bureau.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Melissa Fales of the Environmental Protection Bureau.