Bladensburg, Maryland-based Bates Trucking Company has paid almost $79,000 to settle a complaint by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General that it violated the District’s noise restrictions by picking up trash too early in the morning and too late at night.
The OAG had alleged that Bates Trucking repeatedly collected trash before 7 a.m. and late at night, in violation of noise regulations in neighborhoods that included Dupont and Logan circles.
The office also alleged that the company repeatedly ignored enforcement notices from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, operated without a valid license and refused to pay thousands of dollars in fines.
The OAG filed the lawsuit after investigating a referral from DCRA, which received numerous noise complaints. The lawsuit was filed in July 2020.
D.C. noise regulations ban trash collection between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Bates Trucking agreed to settle the claims for $78,702, which goes to D.C.’s General Fund. The original suit sought $131,171 in fines, penalties and interest.
In September, the company filed an Answer and Jury Demand, in which it admitted or denied certain allegations in the complaint, according to the settlement.
The company also obtained a valid business license from DCRA as a result of the lawsuit, the OAG said.
