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In reverse chronological order:
August, 1999 - California - Anthony Vierra of Hilmar, Calif., owner and operator of the Anthony Vierra Dairy in Hilmar, pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, in U.S. District Court in Fresno to violating the Clean Water Act. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Vierra will pay a $100,000 fine and reimburse costs incurred by the investigating agencies. The charges arose from a discharge of manure contaminated dairy waste water from crop fields at the defendant's dairy farm into the Hilmar drain which leads into the San Joaquin River. Animal manure contains E.coli and can contain pathogens which can cause a variety of infections in humans and can be harmful to fish and wildlife. The case originated with the North Central Valley Dairy Waste Enforcement Task Force and was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the California Department of Fish and Game. This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
August 26, 1999, Maryland - In a combined civil and criminal case, Interstate General Co., L.P. (IGC), agreed on Aug. 26, in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt to pay a total of $1.86 million for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) and also agreed to join with St. Charles Associates (St. Charles) to protect and/or remediate 155 acres of wetlands in and around Dorchester. Both companies were involved in the development of the Dorchester Neighborhood in St. Charles County, Md. IGC pleaded guilty to one count of violating the CWA for illegally filling wetlands on either side of a stream that flows into the Port Tobacco River, which is a tributary of the Potomac River. The plea agreement calls for IGC to pay a $1.5 million fine. In a parallel civil case, IGC will pay an additional $360,000 in civil penalties. Wetlands preservation is vital to the maintenance of a healthy environment because they purify surface waters and provide a breeding area for waterfowl, fish and other wildlife. In February 1996, IGC, St. Charles, and IGC's President James J. Wilson, were convicted of four felony counts of illegally filling wetlands in violation of the CWA. On appeal, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the convictions and remanded the case for re-trial. Upon sentencing, in accordance with the plea, the indictments against St. Charles and Wilson will be dismissed. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and EPA Region 3, the FBI, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and prosecution is by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 29, 1999, California - Bernardino Lopez, former wastewater treatment plant operator for the Niland Sanitary District, pleaded guilty on March 29 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego, to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA). Lopez admitted that in August and September of 1998, he repeatedly added chlorine to wastewater samples that were to be tested for E. coli. bacteria. The samples were used to develop monthly reports to the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Adding chlorine to the samples concealed the fact that both treatment plants were discharging wastewater with E. coli. levels that exceeded the limits allowed in their CWA National Point Discharge Elimination System permits. Human exposure to wastewater containing excessive levels of E. coli. can cause skin and intestinal infections. Wastewater from both plants flows into the Salton Sea. When sentenced, Lopez faces a maximum penalty of two years imprisonment and/or a $10,000 fine. This case was investigated by the Imperial County Environmental Task Force, which includes EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of
Justice.
March 30, 1999, West Virginia - James Bragg of Lanark, W.Va., was charged on March 30 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia in Charleston with allegedly violating the Clean Water Act. Bragg owned a sewage treatment facility in Grandview, W.Va. From April 1996 through September 1998, the defendant allegedly discharged sewage waste containing fecal coliform bacteria on 10 occasions in a manner that was not in accordance with the facility's National Point Discharge Elimination System permit. In addition, he is charged with discharging sewage without any permit from September 1998 to February 1999. Finally, he is charged with failing to submit discharge monitoring reports to the State of West Virginia from September 1997 to September 1998. Improperly discharging sewage waste containing fecal coliform can spread infectious diseases. If convicted on all twelve charges, the defendant faces a maximum sentence up to 36 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $3 million. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 31, 1999, New York - Nicholas LaPenta of Liverpool, N.Y., and Steven Hunter of Cayuga, N.Y., were both charged in separate cases on March 31 in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York in Syracuse for violating the Clean Air Act by improperly removing asbestos. LaPenta is the owner of Antonio's Restaurant in Syracuse. He allegedly caused asbestos to be removed from a food storage location at the restaurant without inspecting the facility for the presence of asbestos and without promptly reporting the release of asbestos to the National Response Center, as required by law. He is also charged with making false statements to investigators. Hunter is the owner of Hunter Heating, Contracting and Plumbing. While conducting asbestos abatement at the Masonic Temple in Auburn, N.Y., he allegedly failed to inspect the building for asbestos, failed to have a certified contractor perform the work, failed to properly wet and bag the asbestos, failed to properly label containers filled with asbestos, and failed to dispose of the asbestos at a landfill approved for that purpose. The improper removal of asbestos can lead to the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers which can cause lung cancer, a lung disease known as "asbestosis," and mesothelioma which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. If convicted on all counts, LaPenta faces a maximum prison sentence of up to 17 years and/or fines of up to $1 million. Hunter faces a maximum of up to 32 years in prison and/or fines up to $1.75 million, if convicted on all charges. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 25, 1999, Michigan - James W. Morgan of St. Clair Shores, Mich., former owner of Morgan
Artcraft Screen Print Inc., and William M. Jones of Highland Park, Mich., were indicted on March 25 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit on charges of violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The defendants allegedly unlawfully transported and disposed of a trailer containing hazardous waste inks at an abandoned warehouse in Detroit. Some of the abandoned inks were flammable and others contained lead. Exposure to sufficient quantities of lead can cause neurological disorders in people. The EPA Superfund program paid $30,000 to dispose of the abandoned inks. If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or fines of up to $500,000. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI with the assistance of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 25, 1999, Missouri - Billy L. Stevens was sentenced to one year and one day in prison on March 25 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City for violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. The defendant was co-owner and president of RS Services Inc., which operates in Kansas City as Mizzou Painting and Special Coatings. From approximately April 1996 until 1998, the defendant stored petroleum based wastes, chlorinated compounds, and spent solvents at the Mizzou facility without a permit. Human exposure to sufficient amounts of these substances can produce a variety of illnesses including respiratory ailments and eye irritation. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and National Enforcement Investigations Center, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 24, 1999, Louisianna - Emmanuel Johnson of Independence, La., was sentenced on March 24 by the U.S. District Court in New Orleans to serve two years in prison and was ordered by the Court to pay a total of $131,104 in restitution for the unlawful distribution of the restricted use pesticide methyl parathion. On March 17, the U.S. District Court also sentenced Oscar Miller, also of Independence, to serve five months in a halfway house, eight months home confinement and pay $61,500 in restitution for the unlawful sale and distribution of methyl parathion. According to information presented to the Court, each defendant illegally sold methyl parathion to individuals who were not trained or certified to use the pesticide. Furthermore, the defendants sold methyl parathion for the unlawful purpose of eradicating household insects. Methyl parathion may only legally be used as an outdoor insecticide in uninhabited agricultural fields where sunlight dramatically reduces its toxicity. When used indoors, methyl parathion can remain highly toxic for up to two years, and exposure to sufficient quantities of the pesticide can produce nausea, vomiting, convulsions and death. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and was
prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
March 26, 1999 - Charles McNamee, the facilities manager at Syro Incorporated's steel mill in Centerville, Utah, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act (CWA) and was sentenced on March 12 in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City to three months imprisonment and a $2,500 fine. In November and December 1993, McNamee ordered Syro employees to discharge waste water from production tanks into a floor drain that led to the South Davis Sewer Improvement District sewer treatment works. The wastes contained acids and high concentrations of zinc, a toxic pollutant. Both of these substances can interfere with the proper treatment of sewage and are harmful to fish and other aquatic life. Because of these illegal discharges, the South Davis treatment works incurred additional expenses to dispose of zinc contaminated bio solids. The company previously pleaded guilty to two violations of the CWA and was ordered to pay a fine of $750,000. This case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the Utah Attorney General's Office Environmental Crimes Unit and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Missouri, March 26, 1999 - Martin J. Klipsch, president and owner of MJK Distribution of St. Louis, Mo., and his company pleaded guilty on March 19 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis to violating the Clean Water Act by discharging acids and caustics into the St. Louis Metropolitan Sewer District. The discharge of acidic and caustic materials into public sewage treatment facilities can cause injuries to treatment plant workers, can damage the plant, and can kill the bacteria which are necessary for the processing of raw sewage. When sentenced, Klipsch faces a maximum of up to one year in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. MJK faces a maximum fine of up to $200,000 per day of violation. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Texas, March 1, 1999: David H. Mead of The Woodlands, Texas, was sentenced on March 1, to serve four months in prison, four months home confinement and pay a $20,000 fine by the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton. Mead is the former President and Chief Executive Officer for Western Hemisphere Operations of Saybolt Inc., which operates a laboratory testing facility for petroleum products in New Jersey. Mead directed an employee to go to Panama to pay a $50,000 bribe to Panamanian government officials to acquire tax benefits and a lease on a prime business location along the Panama Canal. The allegations of bribery were discovered during an investigation of false data reporting at Saybolt's Wolburn, Mass., laboratory. Saybolt has already paid $4.9 million dollars in fines for its convictions on charges of providing false data to EPA and Saybolt customers, and for bribery of Panamanian Officials. The case was investigated by EPA's criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Georgia, February 25, 1999 -Colonial Pipeline Co. (CPC), of Atlanta, Ga., pleaded guilty on Feb. 25, in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina in Anderson and was ordered to pay a $7 million fine for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA). The charges arose from an incident on June 26, 1996, when CPC's pipeline ruptured at a point where it crosses the Reedy River near Simpsonville, S.C. In pleading guilty to the charge, CPC acknowledged that it had negligently operated its pipeline, and that its failure to exercise reasonable care resulted in the release of approximately 960,000 gallons of diesel fuel which polluted a 23-mile segment of the Reedy River. The spill killed approximately 35,000 fish and also harmed other wildlife. The spill was the sixth
largest in the history of the United States. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a five-year probation term, during which the company will have to develop and implement an environmental compliance program to prevent and detect any further violations of the CWA on a 5,318 mile pipeline that it operates from Houston Texas, to Linden, N.J. The court also required the company to make presentations to national pipeline associations regarding the obligations that similar pipelines have under the CWA. This case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI, and was prosecuted jointly by the United States Attorneys Office for the District of South Carolina and Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Section in Washington.
Montana, February 24, 1999 - Balko Inc., of Conrad, Mont., and John J. Balkenbush, company
president, were convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court for the District of Montana in Helena on Feb. 24, for violating the Underground Injection Control (UIC) regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Balkenbush and Balko provided field and operations services for oil production companies throughout Montana. The defendants disposed of wastewater and other waste fluids from oil and gas production into three abandoned oil wells in Pondera County, Mont. These wells did not have UIC permits allowing them to be used as disposal sites. This practice occurred periodically over several years, despite the availability of wells with UIC disposal permits which could have been used for this activity. When sentenced, the company could be fined up to $500,000. Balkenbush faces a maximum sentence of up to three years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $250,000. This case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division.
Illinois, February 19, 1999: Wade J. Bertelsen of Milan, Ill., pleaded guilty on Feb. 10, in U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois in Rock Island, Ill., to violating the Clean Air Act by failing to follow required procedures for the removal of asbestos-containing material. Bertelsen admitted that he and workers he supervised willfully failed to adequately wet asbestos-containing material which was being removed
from the Old LeClair Hotel in Galva, Ill. Regulations require that asbestos containing material must be wetted before it is removed so that dust containing asbestos fibers will not become airborne. Inhaling asbestos fibers is a known cause of lung cancer, a lung disease known as "asbestosis," and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. When sentenced, Bertelsen faces a maximum sentence of up to five years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division; the Illinois Attorney General's Office; the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency; the Illinois State Police; the
Moline, Illinois Police Department; the Milan, Illinois Police Department; the Marion, Iowa Police Department; the Iowa Department of Natural Resources; and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
New York, February 19, 1999 - Salvatore Napalitano and his company, ECCO Construction Inc., both of
Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut in New Haven to violating the Clean Air Act. Documents submitted at the time of the plea agreement indicated that Napalitano and ECCO conspired with others to illegally use unskilled workers to avoid the cost of proper asbestos abatement at a former YMCA building in New Haven in 1997. When sentenced, Napalitano faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. ECCO faces a maximum fine of up to $500,000. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Washington, February 19, 1999 - Charles Michael McBeth of Tacoma, Wash.; Thomas Pearson of Olympia, Wash.; Van Mobley of Mount Vernon, Wash.; and Gregory Bischel of Marysville, Wash.; were indicted on Feb. 4, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act. McBeth was vice-president and the other three men were supervisors at Environmental Maintenance Services Corp. (EMSC), a dissolved corporation formerly located in Tukwila, Wash. The charges arose from the defendants' alleged role in the improper removal of asbestos while EMSC was a subcontractor doing asbestos abatement and demolition work on boilers at the central heating plant at the U.S. Naval Air Station at Whidbey Island, Wash. The indictment alleges that during the demolition of a boiler, from June 24 to July 24, 1996, asbestos was removed without first being properly wetted to suppress asbestos dust. Inhalation of asbestos dust by workers can lead to lung cancer, a lung disease known as "asbestosis," and mesothelioma, which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. If convicted, all four men face a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. This case is being investigated jointly by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mississippi, February 12, 1999 - Insulation Foam and Roofing Inc., (IFR) of Jackson, Miss., and a former employee, David Aultman who is also from Jackson, were sentenced on Feb. 5, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi in Hattiesburg for illegally transporting and disposing of hazardous wastes in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. IFR and Aultman were ordered to pay $29,914 in
restitution for cleanup costs and Aultman was also sentenced to six months confinement. IFR and Aultman were convicted of transporting drums of hazardous waste without a permit and illegally dumping them on property owned by Aultman in Jefferson Davis County between September 1994 and September 1995. Hazardous substances contained in the drums included xylene and methyl ethyl ketone. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Department of Transportation Inspector General's Office, the
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, the Mississippi Attorney General's Office, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Texas, February 2, 1999 - The NCH Corp. of Irving, Texas, was indicted on Feb. 2, in U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota in Sioux Falls on charges of violating the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and
Rodenticide Act. NCH allegedly sold the pesticides to Headstart schools in South Dakota and falsely claimed that the products could be used for purposes that substantially differed from those registered with EPA. In March 1997, a U.S. Indian Health Service survey at the Rosebud Sioux Tribal Headstart Centers discovered that two pesticides, Tisan and DDS-164, were being used to sanitize children's toothbrushes. Neither of these pesticides is authorized for this use. The pesticides sold by NCH allegedly caused sores to develop in the
mouths of American Indian children when they used the pesticides to rinse their toothbrushes. These pesticides are registered for use as kitchen disinfectants and items treated with them must be allowed to dry before they are used. If either of these pesticides as a liquid is placed in the mouth, sores and other illnesses could result. The corporation faces a maximum potential fine of up to $600,000. EPA's Criminal Investigation Division investigated this case, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney in South Dakota.
NJ & Connecticut, January 20,1999 - Saybolt Inc., a leading firm in the petroleum inspection industry which has laboratory facilities in Woburn, Mass., Kenilworth, N.J., and New Haven, Conn., pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and was fined $3.4 million by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts in Boston. Saybolt was also sentenced to serve five years probation and must purchase advertising in petroleum industry trade publications announcing the terms of its guilty plea. In its plea, Saybolt admitted to conspiracy and to sending the EPA falsified reports of laboratory tests performed on petroleum products. The falsified reports routinely overstated the oxygen content of reformulated gasoline (RFG) and also routinely reported that tests of other petroleum products, such as home heating oil, were "on-specification," regardless of whether the products met specifications or not. RFG is required to contain more oxygen than other blends of gasoline in order to reduce smog, which is known to cause respiratory illnesses in people. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Louisianna, January 20, 1999 - Intracoastal Liquid Mud Inc. (ILM), was sentenced on Jan. 6, to pay a fine of $240,000 and was ordered to implement an environmental compliance program by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana in Lafayette. ILM previously pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by discharging waste into the Vermillion River without a permit. ILM is in the business of selling drilling muds used in oil exploration and provides barge and offshore supply boat cleaning services. In its previous plea agreement, ILM admitted that between 1992 and January 1998, its employees illegally discharged hundreds of thousands of gallons of waste wash water into the river. The wash water contained contaminants such as oil-based drilling mud, calcium chloride, barite and cement, all of which can be harmful to aquatic life. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
West Virginia, January 11, 1999 - Wayne H. Fortney, Jr., of Morgantown, W.Va., a principal owner and
president of Valley Mining Co. Inc., was sentenced to six months of confinement and was ordered to pay a $50,000 fine on Dec. 17, 1998 by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia in Clarksburg. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Clean Water Act (CWA). Fortney violated the conditions of his CWA discharge permit by allowing acid mine drainage to be discharged into Maple Run in Monongalia County, W. Va., between Oct. 8, 1991 and Sept. 25, 1992. He also violated his permit by discharging acidic water from a collecting pond at the Valley Mining Project site on March 23, 1992. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Florida, January 11, 1999 - Gary Benkovitz, President of Bay Drum and Steel Inc., in Tampa, Fla., and his company were indicted Jan. 7, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA). Both defendants were indicted on this new charge while awaiting sentencing for their previous conviction on Sept. 17, 1998, on charges of conspiring to violate the CWA and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Benkovitz and his company are in the business of acquiring, cleaning, reconditioning and re-selling 55-gallon drums. This latest indictment alleges that the defendants knowingly discharged hazardous wastewater by directing employees to pour drum wash water into a storm sewer that leads into McKay Bay. In addition, the defendants were also indicted on Sept. 24, 1998 for allegedly improperly disposing of as much as 160,000 gallons of drum washing waste water in violation of RCRA. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department with the assistance of the EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Georgia, January 7, 1999 - W.L. Wilson and Sons Inc., which operates the Wilson Funeral Home in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta to violating the Clean Water Act. The defendant admitted to discharging wastewater which contained formaldehyde, embalming and body fluids, and human waste into the funeral home's septic tank drain lines. The wastewater flowed from the lines through cracks in an embankment into a drainage ditch and a culvert that empty into Black Branch Creek which is a tributary of the Chicamauga Creek, and ultimately into the Tennessee
River. Formaldehyde and human wastes are potential causes of a variety of diseases in humans and can also be harmful to aquatic life. When sentenced, the defendant faces a maximum fine of up to $500,000. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Washington, December 18, 1998 - Timothy Dean Tomlinson, co-owner of WR Engineering & Environmental (WREE), was sentenced on Dec. 14, to 10 months confinement by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle for violating the Clean Air Act. Tomlinson was convicted of illegally
employing homeless men who were not trained or certified in asbestos removal to remove over 14,000 square feet of asbestos from a building in Seattle in May 1997. The men also were not provided with proper safety equipment. As a result, the homeless laborers were exposed to high levels of airborne asbestos. Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause a lung disease knows as "asbestosis," lung cancer, and mesothelioma
which is a cancer of the chest and abdominal cavities. WREE quoted a price of $31,000 for the asbestos removal work. However, the cleanup eventually cost property owners over $350,000 because the site was
contaminated due to improper asbestos removal. The case was jointly investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, EPA's Region 10 Air Program, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.
Louisianna, December 18, 1998 - James Lee Miller, of Bogalusa, La., was sentenced on Dec. 16, to serve
27 months in prison by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis for violating the Clean Water Act. Miller had previously been convicted of illegally discharging between 700 and 1,000 gallons of styrene monomer into a drainage ditch south of St. Louis in March. The chemical, which was illegally released
from a semi-trailer truck driven by the defendant, flowed from the drainage ditch into Fourch A Du Clos Creek, and Establishment Creek, a tributary of the Mississippi River. The discharge caused the evacuation of more than 100 people from their homes and temporary closure of the Bloomsdale Elementary School, and killed approximately 10,000 fish in both creeks. Depending upon the degree of exposure, people who breathe styrene monomer vapors can develop symptoms that range from irritation of the eyes and lining of the respiratory system to significant respiratory and neurological illnesses. Human ingestion of styrene monomer can produce cancer, liver disease and blood disorders. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriff's Department and the
Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Missouri, December 18, 1998 - Dillon L. Magers was charged with one count of conspiracy, six counts of violating the Clean Water Act, and two counts of making false statements by a grand jury on Dec. 11, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis. Magers, the Midwest Supervisor of Environmental Operations for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF), allegedly conspired to withhold pertinent information from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) concerning his sampling and analyses for lead contamination on soils at the BNSF railroad car cleaning facility which is located one mile north of Cherryville, Mo. Railroad cars carrying lead ore were cleaned of lead sulfide residue at the facility. The defendant also is charged with channeling storm runoff water contaminated with lead from the cleaning facility into Cherry Valley Creek. If convicted on all counts, Magers faces a maximum sentence of up to 36 years imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $2 million. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, MDNR and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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Interesting Reads:
THE PREPPER'S CANNING & PRESERVING BIBLE: [13 in 1] Your Path to Food Self-Sufficiency. Canning, Dehydrating, Fermenting, Pickling & More, Plus The Food Preservation Calendar for a Sustainable Pantry
The Backyard Homestead: Produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre! P
aperback
The Citizens' Guide to Geologic Hazards: A Guide to Understanding Geologic Hazards Including Asbestos, Radon, Swelling Soils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
Book: The Sixth Extinction:
An Unnatural History Paperback
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