Portable Sanitation Association International

Association Insight May 30 2018

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WEEKLY EDITION May 30, 2018 Why Doesn't the PSAI Do Something about Bad Behavior? We Do! By Karleen Kos, PSAI Executive Director Once in a while the PSAI office will take a call or get an email about a "bad actor." Usually a competitor is upset about the practices of another company and wants the PSAI to intervene. While the majority of these concerns focus on things that are, unfor tunately, both lawful and essentially ethical business practices – even though they are annoying to a competitor - sometimes the allegations are more serious. Illegal disposal. Failure to pay employees properly. Not following the requirements of the Ameri cans with Disabilities Act when placing units. "Why doesn't the PSAI do something?" the caller wants to know. We do. One of the things that trade associations like the PSAI do is to define what is best about their industries. They act as champion and guar dian of the industry's reputation, praising the best ideas, clarifying tough questions and calling out practices that can cause harm. The foundation of this work is usually one or more documents referred to as a "Code of Conduct," "Code of Ethics," or something similar. Although the PSAI developed a document covering ethics for its individual certificati on program in the early 1990s, it was 2015 when the PSAI rolled out its Code of Excellence, a document that defines acceptable practices in the portable sanitation industry. California Portable Restroom Company Leaders Sentenced Penalties were handed down last week in connection with felony charges for illegal waste disposal In the June 7, 2017 issue of Association Insight , the PSAI shared the news that officials at Diamond Environmental Services (DES) had pled guilty in federal court to several charges related to improper waste disposal. Company owner Eric De Jong and Chief Operating Officer Warren Van Dam stated in court last year that DES had unlawfully disposed of waste by discharging it into municipal sewer lines. They admitted that this was a regular company practice that took place over multiple years in San Diego, San Marcos, Perris, Fullerton, and Huntington Park. At the time, De Jong and Van Dam confessed that they had directed the firm's maintenance employees to design, purchase, and install pumps, grinders, and settling tanks used to illegally pump waste into sewer lines at the DES locations. In addition, De Jo ng had hired a contractor to install connections to sewer lines in San Marcos and San Diego, unbeknownst to the municipal sewer districts. The company also admitted that employees concealed the existence of the illicit sewer connections from inspectors by placing a portable toilet over them during visits. Van Dam also falsely understated the volume of wastewater that was discharged per day at DES facilities. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

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