"I know some of my guys have been occasionally doing the wrong things, but that's not our policy," Mr. Uzochukwu said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "These are some of my good workers, but they just blew it."

Mr. Uzochukwu says he became furious when he saw photos in Friday's editions of The Augusta Chronicle showing CSRA Waste employees dumping recycling bins into the back of a garbage truck. When confronted, the workers started pointing fingers, he said.

During a three-week period, The Chronicle observed CSRA Waste employees mixing trash and recyclables along routes in District 5. In one case, the truck was followed to the landfill.

Mr. Uzochukwu chalks the incidents up to ignorance and paranoia within his ranks. Lately, he said, he has come down hard on drivers who miss pickups. He said the men threw out the recyclables because they thought the recycling truck had come through and didn't want those drivers to get into trouble.

Questions about and problems with garbage pickup have weakened public confidence in the new system. "These are some of my good workers, but they just blew it." - Kester Uzochukwu, CSRA Waste president, on employees who threw away recyclables,

"It reflects terribly on the company," Mr. Uzochukwu said.

In a letter to public works Director Teresa Smith sent with last week's reports, Mr. Uzochukwu said he feared that the controversy would discourage residents from recycling. He also said that, at times, rear-loader garbage trucks are used to pick up recyclables.

City Administrator George Kolb received a letter Tuesday from the company's attorney, Edward J. Tarver, that called for a formal investigation of all city garbage contractors.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.