Rumpke mistakenly bills Mount Vernon residents for recycling

Rumpke mistakenly added a $12 surcharge for recycling on residents' April bill. City code requires all solid waste haulers who pick up residential trash to provide curbside recycling at no additional charge.

Safety-service Director Richard Dzik sent a letter to Rumpke sales rep Sarah Matthews on Monday ordering Rumpke to immediately reverse any recycling charges and provide curbside recycling to all of Rumpke's residential trash customers.

“Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $150 for a first violation and a fine of up to $250 and 30 days in jail for each subsequent violation,” he wrote.

Additionally, Dzik told Mathews that any subsequent violations of the city's solid waste hauler rules will void Rumpke's permit and prevent the company from providing trash services in the city until it has reapplied for a new permit.

Rumpke representative Joseph Schoffstall told Dzik today that he learned of the problem on Monday and is working with his customer support team to find out what happened.