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OREGON MANAGER ACCUSED OF INTENTIONAL SULFURIC ACID SPILL
Release Date: 08/26/99
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1999
OREGON MANAGER ACCUSED OF INTENTIONAL SULFURIC ACID SPILL
Larry Childers of Sprague River, Ore., was indicted on Aug. 19, in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Eugene, for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act by spilling sulfuric acid into Murder Creek. Childers managed the Kemwater North America (KNA) chemical distribution facility in Albany, Ore. KNA receives shipments of sulfuric acid by train, stores the acid in a 25,000 gallon tank, and delivers it to companies that manufacture paper. On March 31, 1998, it is alleged that Childers intentionally opened a valve at the bottom of the KNA sulfuric acid tank and turned on a water pipe, releasing several thousand gallons of acid/water mixture into a containment pond. The water/acid mixture overflowed the containment area and spilled into Murder Creek, which is a tributary of the Willamette River. Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive chemical. It can cause severe burns on contact with skin, and can be fatal to aquatic life when released into surface waters. Three thousand fish were killed in Murder Creek as a result of the acid discharge. If convicted, Childers faces a maximum of three years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Oregon State Police, the Linn County Sheriff Office, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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