Environmental Enforcement
Wabash Environmental Technologies, LLC, received a NPDES permit to take pharmaceutical manufacturing wastewater, treat it, and discharge it into the Wabash River. The permit required the company to test the water coming in and going out, and set limits on pollutants in both. The company had to submit to the results of the testing to IDEM. Allegedly, when the operator found that the results violated the pollutant limitation, he started altering the reports:
Derrik Hagerman, president and owner of Wabash Environmental Technologies LLC, was indicted Wednesday on 36 felony violations of the federal Clean Water Act for creating false reports of analytical results of wastewater discharged into the Wabash River.
Hagerman faces a maximum of 72 years in prison and up to $900,000 in fines. Each violation carries a penalty of up to two years in prison and a fine up to $250,000, according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Steven DeBrota and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David Mucha, who are prosecuting the case.
Link (Tribune-Star)
