The State of Texas filed a lawsuit against industrial waste recycler Global Fiberglass Solutions for illegally compiling approximately 3,000 wind turbine blades and parts at two disposal sites in Sweetwater, Texas. The lawsuit claims that Global and other entities violated the Texas Solid Waste Disposal Act and Texas Water Code.
Court documents state that Global, a Texas corporation with a principal place of business in Washington, is hired by companies to break down, transport and recycle turbine blades. However, the company allegedly failed to properly dispose of the waste and instead created a stockpile of nearly 487,000 cubic yards of solid waste.
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The lawsuit added that Global and other defendants never acquired authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to operate, process, dispose of or store industrial solid waste at either facility.
TCEQ conducted a series of investigations at both sites from 2018 to 2025. The first in 2018 stemmed from an anonymous complaint and discovered that Global had engaged in recycling activities without notifying the commission. TCEQ told the company that it needed a permit to store industrial waste if it does not recycle 75% of material per calendar year.
When the commission returned in 2021, they allegedly found the sites unattended, with the office door and all gates locked. Two days later, they spoke with Director of Plant Development Paul Brush, who said the facilities had been closed since April 2020, all employees had been furloughed and no access could be arranged. Brush also reportedly admitted that the sites had added more blades since 2020 and had never recycled the required 75% of material since operations began.
In 2022, TCEQ entered an agreed order against Global, which required it to stop storing additional waste, maintain records of its activities, secure permits for both sites within a year and submit compliance certification by October 2024. Alternatively, the company could remove and properly dispose of all unauthorized waste by the same deadline.
Investigators revisited the facilities in March 2025 and concluded that Global had abandoned the facilities, accepted additional materials and had not removed any waste. Another investigation in October found similar conditions.
According to Clean Grid Alliance, wind turbine blades can be mechanically recycled, co-processed in cement kilns or landfilled.
The State of Texas will seek monetary damages ranging from $250,000 to over $1 million. Global did not respond to IEN’s request for comment.
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