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PA ENFORCEMENT WRAP-UP

Release Date: 10/25/96
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PA ENFORCEMENT WRAP-UP

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1996

ENFORCEMENT WRAP-UP

ILLEGAL DISCHARGE INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEADS TO GUILTY PLEA

On Oct. 16, Walter W. Williams, III, of Port Allen, La., pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Federal Clean Water Act by illegally discharging waste oil and bilge slop into the Mississippi River. Williams faces a maximum sentence of up to three years imprisonment and/or a fine. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division with the support of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Louisiana State Police, the US. Customs Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

INDICTMENTS IN IROQUOIS GAS PIPELINE CASE

On Oct. 16, Louise Mango, Kenneth Austin, Kevin Dominske and Phoenix Environmental Inc., were indicted for alleged felony violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) and other federal laws in connection with the construction of a 370 mile natural gas pipeline to bring natural gas from Canada to New York and Connecticut. All of the defendants had worked as employees and/or consultants to the Iroquois Pipeline Operating Co. Iroquois paid $22 million in fines and penalties earlier this year. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division with the support of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center, the FBI, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General and the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General.

FEDERAL CASE ON IMPROPER REMOVAL OF ASBESTOS AT LAS VEGAS CASINO

On Oct. 15, Richard Lovelace, Dennis Price and Rocco DiPentino and an environmental consulting firm were indicted for federal felony offenses arising out of the alleged improper removal of asbestos during the demolition of the former Landmark Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. All the defendants are charged with conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act's regulations governing the safe removal and disposal of asbestos. Price and the consulting firm, Ab-Haz, are charged with mail fraud for submitting false certifications to the Las Vegas Convention Authority. The investigation leading to this indictment was undertaken by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI.

TWO FLORIDA MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY SMUGGLING FREON

On Oct. 9, Bert I. Coopersmith of Coconut Creek, Fla., and Howard S. Cohen of Aventura, Fla., entered guilty pleas to one felony count of violating the Clean Air Act in connection with a scheme to purchase and resell smuggled CFC-12, an ozone-depleting refrigerant gas commonly referred to by the registered trade name "freon." In attempting to purchase the smuggled freon, the defendants attempted to avoid $174,000 in federal excise taxes. Between January and March 

1996, Coopersmith and Cohen had arranged to purchase 1,000 30-pound cylinders of the gas from federal agents posing as smugglers in the Cape Coral, Fla., area. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Customs Service.

MISSOURI FOUNDRY PLANT MANAGER SENTENCED FOR MULTIPLE CRIMES

On Oct. 4, Midwest Alloys Foundry and Vern Kneib were sentenced in St. Louis, Mo., for multiple federal felony and misdemeanor violations. Midwest was sentenced to concurrently serve two years unsupervised probation on five counts, pay fines and restitution totaling $150,000 and conduct environmental remediation at its facility in O'Fallon, Mo. Kneib was sentenced to two years of unsupervised probation. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Immigration and Naturalization Service with the support of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center.

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