New York scrap metal recycler Benson Metal Corp. was fined for dumping waste into the Gowanus Canal, also known as Lavender Lake, said the New York Attorney General on Tuesday. Benson Metal Corp. tossed dangerous scrap metal from their facilities into the canal, the Attorney General said, and was fined $85,000: a $50,000 civil penalty, $27,000 for natural resource damages and $8,000 in legal fees. The company also agreed to improve its practices to ensure dumping doesn’t happen again.
Simsmetal East, which provides barges to Benson for hauling scrap iron and steel to its recycling plant in New Jersey, also agreed to follow best practices to prevent further problems.