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8/27/2026
WT Staff
 Knowledge of an environmental crime? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email info@wtga.us
Aug 27, 2026 809 am EDT
CrimeBox
Historic Conviction Fiscal Year 2012; Case ID# CR_22282 (Louisiana)
Environmental services company deliberately dumped 1.2 million gallons of oily wastewater into Harvey Canal
The Defendants in this case are an environmental services corporation and its operator, responsible for the proper handling of contaminated wastewater. Each Defendant was charged with a single felony violation of the Clean Water Act for knowingly discharging pollutants to waters of the USA.
The corporate Defendant held a permit for the release of treated effluent, the waste stream having been isolated for proper disposal. The discharge permit specified the characteristics of liquids accepted at the Parish wastewater treatment plant. To comply with the terms of the discharge permit, oil was to be separated, securely contained and picked up for recycling or proper disposal. The permit allowed for the remaining effluent stream, being tested and monitored for compliance with the permit terms, to be flushed down the drain to the public sewer system.
When an oily sheen was reported on Harvey Canal, investigators traced it back to the Defendant's site. A bill of information submitted to Federal District Court stated that a hose carried untreated wastewater from the back of the building, discharging directly to Harvey Canal. It was determined that 1.2 million gallons of contaminated material reached the US waterway during a six month period in 2007-2008.
Sentencing included a $5,000 federal fine for the environmental services company and $3,000 for the operator, with three years probation determined for each.
Federal Fines: $8,000; Probation: 72 months
See last week's CrimeBox here, "Sworn affidavits prove false - confined animal feedlot operator convicted for dumping manure in Mud Creek"
CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.
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