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MICHIGAN MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL WASTE TRANSPORT

Release Date: 09/14/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2000

MICHIGAN MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGAL WASTE TRANSPORT

Gregory Kopke of Madison Heights, Mich., was sentenced on Sept. 7, to 24 months in prison and was ordered to pay $44,007.98 in restitution to the U.S. Government. The defendant previously pleaded guilty to violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act by illegally causing the transportation of paint and solvent wastes to four rural sites in Macomb County, Mich., where they were abandoned. One of the sites was near an elementary school. The materials were ignitable and also contained xylene, ethyl benzene, toluene and lead. Benzene is a known carcinogen and exposure to sufficient quantities of lead can lead to disorders of the bones and nervous system. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI with the assistance of EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center and the Macomb County Health Department. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit.

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