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PA--NEW VERSION--LOUISIANA MAN CONVICTED FOR ILLEGAL DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
Release Date: 09/30/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1998
LOUISIANA MAN CONVICTED FOR ILLEGAL
DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
DISCHARGE OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL
James Lee Miller, of Bogalusa, La., was convicted by a jury on Sept. 21, in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis for violating the Clean Water Act. Miller illegally discharged between 700 and 1,000 gallons of the chemical styrene monomer at the Bloomsdale rest stop on I-55 approximately 60 miles south of St. Louis on March 16. The chemical ran into Fourche A Du Clos Creek and then into Establishment Creek which empties into the Mississippi River. In order to protect the public, over 100 people in the Bloomsdale area had to be evacuated from their homes. The discharge also caused the temporary closure of the Bloomsdale Elementary School and killed approximately 10,000 fish. Depending upon the degree of exposure, breathing of styrene monomer vapors can produce symptoms that range from irritation to the eyes and lining of the respiratory system to significant respiratory and neurological illnesses. Ingestion of styrene monomer can produce cancer, liver disease and blood disorders. When sentenced, Miller faces a maximum sentence of three years imprisonment and/or fines of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation and the St. Genevieve County Sheriff’s Department with assistance from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center.
R-129 ###
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