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Iowa DNR penalizes Fort Dodge salvage yard

Records 10 years of violations

A Fort Dodge salvage yard is in hot water with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources after 10 years of violations were recorded by the agency.

Frank’s Auto & Truck Salvage LLC, 3304 Gypsum Hollow Road, received an administrative consent order in March from the DNR due to several solid waste and storm water violations that have occurred on its property.

Multiple calls to Frank’s Auto & Truck Salvage owner Dennis Frank were not returned.

According to the order from the DNR, the violations date back to March 2011, when “mishandled appliances were noted during a routine DNR solid waste inspection” on the property.

In April 2012, there was another violation for failure to conduct the required storm water sampling, annual storm water inspections and annual storm water pollution plan training.

The DNR sent a letter of non-compliance to Frank’s in June 2015 for conducting an industrial activity, gypsum crushing, on an adjacent land parcel without a storm water permit.

In June 2017, DNR staff noted “numerous mishandled appliances” during a routine solid waste inspection.

Frank’s appliance demanufacturing permit was rescinded in August 2018, and in September 2018 the salvage yard was warned to not demanufacture appliances until an ADP permit was reissued.

A year later, in July 2019, a site visit from the DNR field office staff found that the facility was continuing to operate the salvage yard without a storm water permit.

Field office staff visited Frank’s again in June 2020 and found the salvage yard was still demanufacturing appliances and “hundreds of mishandled appliances and storm water violations were noted.”

DNR field office staff visited Frank’s again in September 2020 and as of Oct. 30, 2020, the facility still did not have a demanufacturing permit or a storm water permit.

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission requires a person to obtain an appliance demanufacturing permit from the DNR before conducting any demanufacturing activities.

According to the DNR administrative consent order, Frank’s Auto & Truck Salvage has 30 days to submit an application for a storm water permit and for an appliance demanufacturing permit, and the business cannot operate, accept or process any appliances until permits are obtained. The business was given 10 days to post signs on the property notifying the public that appliances cannot be dropped off at the facility. Frank’s must also pay a $6,625 administrative penalty within 30 days.

A consent order is issued as an alternative to issuing an administrative order and it indicates that the DNR has voluntarily entered into a legally enforceable agreement with the other party.

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