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PA PENNSYLVANIAN CHARGED IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT CASE

Release Date: 03/7/97
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PA PENNSYLVANIAN CHARGED IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT CASE

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 1997

PENNSYLVANIAN CHARGED IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT CASE

On March 3, in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Pa., the city of Bethlehem, Pa., was charged with three felony counts of violating the federal Clean Water Act for alleged knowing of violations of the water discharge permit at its wastewater treatment plant. The city is allegedly to have held samples of wastewater discharged longer than allowed by the permit before testing it for fecal coliform bacteria and biological oxygen demand. The city is also charged with failing to notify either the state of Pennsylvania or EPA that it was violating the holding time requirement and for falsely reporting of daily sampling and analysis, as required by the permit. Jack Lawrence, head chemist for the city's Wastewater Treatment Plant Laboratory, was charged with three misdemeanor violations of the Clean Water Act relating to his alleged role. The city faces a maximum penalty of $1.5 million or $50,000 per day of violation and a maximum of five years probation. Lawrence faces a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment, a maximum fine of $300,000 and a maximum of three years supervised release. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division.

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