GEORGETOWN, Ky. (LEX 18) A former Central Kentucky businessman was sentenced in U.S. District Court today following his conviction on illegal storage, transportation and disposal of hazardous waste.
Kenneth Gravitt, 63, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. In May of this year, Gravitt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit crimes related to the handling of hazardous waste and one count of illegal storage of hazardous waste.
The hazardous waste, in this case, consisted of old television and computer monitors that contained
Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs), which have large amounts of toxic lead.
LEX 18 Investigates broke the story in 2015. Gravitt owned a company called Global Environmental Services, which had locations in Georgetown, Cynthiana, and Winchester.
He admitted that in 2013, GES contracted with various businesses and entities to collect and recycle large numbers of devices containing CRTs.
Over time, as GES took in far more of these electronic devices than it could process, it began to send crushed CRTs for disposal, to a Central Kentucky landfill that did not have a license to handle such materials. The materials were also buried in Georgetown behind the GES facility.
Investigators also found large numbers of CRTs in GES managed warehouses in Cynthiana and Winchester. The
estimated costs to clean all the sites was several million dollars.
