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TWO CONNECTICUT COMPANIES TO PAY $10 MILLION
Release Date: 10/05/99
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United States Communications, Education,
Environmental Protection And Media Relations
Agency (1703)
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FRIDAY, OCT. 1, 1999
TWO CONNECTICUT COMPANIES TO PAY $10 MILLION
Two Connecticut companies, Northeast Utilities Service Co. and Northeast Nuclear Co., were sentenced to pay a total of $10 million in criminal fines and supplemental projects benefitting the environment on Sept. 27 in U.S. District Court in Hartford. Northeast Utilities pleaded guilty to six violations of the Clean Water Act (CWA) between 1994 and 1996 that involved the improper monitoring of water discharged into the Housatonic River and Long Island Sound. In addition, Northeast Utilities admitted that it illegally discharged hydrazine used to clean water pipes into Long Island Sound. Hydrazine is a highly toxic chemical and exposure to sufficient quantities can cause significant damage to fish and wildlife populations and can cause serious illnesses in people who come in contact with it by using surface waters for drinking or recreational purposes. Northeast Nuclear admitted to 19 violations of the Atomic Energy Act (AEA) which involved falsifying the qualifications of workers at nuclear power plants. The $10 million in fines and penalties will be paid in the following manner: $3.35 million criminal fine for violating the CWA, $3.35 million criminal fine for violating the AEA, $650,000 to Riverfront Recapture for a leadership camp for disadvantaged youth, $1 million to the state of Connecticut to purchase riverfront land for public parks, $1 million to endow a Business Ethics Chair at the University of Connecticut, and $650,000 to endow an Environmental Clinic at the University of Connecticut. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Investigations, the FBI, and was prosecuted by the U.S. Department of Justice.
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