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MAN PLEADS TO ILLEGAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN FLORIDA
Release Date: 02/05/99
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1999
MAN PLEADS TO ILLEGAL WASTE DISPOSAL IN FLORIDA
Lawrence Randolph Hilton, formerly of Bradenton, Fla., pleaded guilty on Jan. 27, in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA). Hilton buried drums of waste that he knew were potentially hazardous on rural property which he had rented outside of Bradenton. He also failed to report a release of hazardous waste to the National Response Center. In 1994, Hilton was evicted from the property where he buried the drums, and the illegal disposal was later discovered and reported to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Analysis of the drums indicated that several drums contained ignitable liquid and one contained high levels of lead, which is toxic to the nervous system. When sentenced, Hilton faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison and/or a fine of up to $500,000. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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