WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The owner of an Oklahoma electronics recycling company says he'll pay the money he owes animal shelters in Washington and Westmoreland counties.
Team 4 investigative reporter Jim Parsons
broke the story last week that officials at Washington Area Humane Society and Humane Society of Westmoreland County said they're each owed $10,000 by EarthEcycle.
The company organized electronic recycling drives through the shelters. Both agencies said EarthEcycle has put holds on their checks, and they want their money.
"We really need to get our cats downstairs into an area where it's much more accessible to the public, and this is a lot of money to us. We are not a wealthy shelter," said Pat Sphar, vice president of
Washington Area Humane Society.
WAHS said it raises funds by recycling cans, bottles and paper. Recently, EarthEcycle helped it raise $10,000 by recycling old electronics. The money hasn't come through yet
"We received our check. I actually asked (EarthEcycle owner Jeff Nixon) for the check, so that we had it in our possession, but it does have a hold on it. It's not cashable at this point," said Alice Wancowicz, volunteer coordinator for WAHS.
Speaking from his office in Oklahoma, Nixon told Team 4 on Wednesday that the WAHS and the Westmoreland shelter in Greensburg will get paid Friday. He said he hopes to be in Pittsburgh to personally deliver the money.
"The contracts were written and signed during a time when the economy was supporting paying $10,000 for every 100,000 pounds," Nixon said. "It's dropped down 75 percent in the market for e-waste for the stuff that's viable, the stuff that's reusable. As everyone knows, the economy has dropped. But I stuck to our promise to pay people, and they will get paid. "
As Team 4 first reported last week, EarthEcycle was the target of a report from Seattle-based Basel Action Network alleging that EarthEcycle improperly shipped used electronics from Pittsburgh to Hong Kong and Africa, where they were to be stripped for precious metals and dumped.
The
United States Environmental Protection Agency said it's looking into the allegations. Pennsylvania's
Department of Environmental Protection has already cleared the company of any wrongdoing under state law.
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