Four months after a California Department of Resources Recovery and Recycling enforcement action forced USA Recycling in Susanville to close, Lassen County residents will again have a local facility to return bottles and cans for their California Redemption Value.
Assemblyman Brian Dahle, R. Bieber, has frequently been meeting with CalRecycle to urge the agency to quickly permit the opening of a new recycling center to serve the county. Bigfoot Recycling, which operates primarily in Shasta and Tehama counties, opened at the former Jeld-Wen mill site on Johnsonville Road in Susanville. USA Recycling had been the only CRV facility serving consumers in Lassen County. It was closed as part of a long-running state investigation into fraudulent returns of out-of-state recyclables. The administrative decision overruled a state Administrative Law Judge’s ruling that imposed a much lighter penalty, and the USA Recycling owner is seeking a court order allowing it to reopen.
“I continue to have deep concerns about the fairness of the procedures that led to USA Recycling’s closure,” Dahle said. “But first and foremost, there’s an issue of fairness to the community. Lassen County residents pay into the CRV fund with every bottle and can they buy.
“They need a way to get their refunds if they choose. I thank Bigfoot for being willing to serve the Susanville community and CalRecycle for moving this process forward.”