Federal investigators contact Napa County about Upvalley waste agency

Federal investigators have contacted Napa County in an effort to gather information connected to the Upper Valley Waste Management Agency, according to a county spokesperson.

Napa County officials said the county had received a subpoena to provide information about the waste services agency, but was told by the Department of Justice not to share additional details.

The joint-powers authority oversees waste disposal for Upvalley — including the Clover Flat landfill, a source of a number of recent environmental and worker complaints — and members include Napa County, St. Helena, Yountville and Calistoga.

Twenty-four former and current employees of the waste management company serving the upper Napa Valley submitted a joint complaint in December to a state environmental regulator alleging unsafe practices.

The complaint, sent to the California Environmental Protection Agency and copied to other agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Mexican consulate, accuses Upper Valley Disposal & Recycling Services of “unsound environmental practices.” It also alleges unsafe and discriminatory conditions for workers at waste sites.

“As workers at (Upper Valley Disposal Service) and Clover Flat Landfill we have been exposed to all manner of contamination related to garbage and recycling, often without proper training or proper protective equipment,” the grievance states.

The workers also allege they were not made aware of the hazardous conditions or their rights to push back, and that many, particularly those without citizenship, feared retaliation or termination if they reported issues.

In recent months, some workers have also filed related complaints with the California Civil Rights Department claiming the company discriminated against Latino waste workers by subjecting them to environmental toxins, unsafe conditions and unfair treatment.

“Bottom line, Latino workers were forced to do illegal and unlawful activities affecting the environment and affecting their health,” said Jose Garibay Jr., a former operations manager at the Clover Flat Landfill who filed his own complaints with regulators earlier this year, including for wrongful termination. His demotion and then firing in April 2022, he said, stemmed from speaking up about problems at facilities to management.

Staff reporter Marisa Endicott contributed reporting.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com.