# FILM RECOVERY SYSTEMS, INC. ET AL._(3008
> **Judicial** · FY1984 · — · Voluntarily Dismissed After Filing
## Case
- **Activity ID:** `25262`
- **Case Number:** 05-1984-0018
- **Type:** Judicial
- **Lead:** EPA
- **Outcome:** Voluntarily Dismissed After Filing
- **Penalty assessed:** —
- **Cost recovery:** —
- **Compliance action $:** —
- **Multimedia (multi-env):** N
## Defendants
- B. R. MCKEY & SONS, INC.
- METALLIC MARKETING CORP.
- MICHAEL MCKAY
- SILVER RECOVERY SYSTEMS
- STEVEN O'NEIL
## Summary

BACKGROUND                                                      OVER THE TWO AND A HALF YEARS SPANNING LATE 1979 TO     MARCH 1983, FILM RECOVERY SYSTEMS, INC. AND THE OTHER        DEFENDANTS NAMED IN THE ENCLOSED COMPLAINT, WERE AT ON TIME  OR ANOTHER OPERATORS OF A SILVER RECOVERY BUSINESS AT 1855   GREENLEAF AVENUE, ELK GROVE VILLAGE, ILLINOIS.  THEY USED    INORGANIC CYANIDE SOLUTIONS TO STRIP SILVER COMPOUNDS, FROM  X-RAY AND OTHER FILM STOCKS THAT WERE SHREDDED INTO SMALL    PIECES, BY PLACING THEM INTO 1000-GALLON TANKS FOR SEVERAL   DAYS AT A TIME.  THE RESULTING LIQUOR WAS DECANTED INTO      ELECTROPLATING TANKS AND PLATED ONTO STAINLESS STEEL         ELECTRODES FOR RECOVERY.  THE SILVER IN THE SLUDGES          GENERATED WAS FURTHER RECOVERED BY SMELTING.  ABOUT 65,000   POUNDS OF WASTE CHIPS WERE GENERATED EACH DAY DURING PEAK    OPERRATIONS.  A TOTAL OF AT LEAST 16 MILLION POUNDS OF THESE WASTES WERE GENERATED DURING THE LIFE OF THE OPERATION.           THE WASTE CHIPS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED WITH SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE PRIOR TO DISPOSAL TO REDUCE THE CYANIDE PRESENT ON THEM TO NONREACTIVE LEVELS.  AS THE BUSINESS PROGRESSED,  A CONSCIOUS DECISION WAS APPARENTLY MADE TO REDUCE COSTS BY  REDUCING THE LEVEL OF TREATMENT OF THE WASTE.  AS A RESULT,  THE 16 MILLION POUNDS OF CHIPS, COATED WITH AN AVERAGE 400   PPM OF CYANIDE AND 10 PPM OF SILVER, WERE ILLEGALLY          GENERATED AND STORED, IN TRAILERS AND WAREHOUSES LEASED BY   THE DEFENDANTS, IN COOK AND LEE COUNTI

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*Source: [EPA ECHO](https://echo.epa.gov/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*