A business owner has pleaded guilty to dumping thousands of gallons of hazardous substances into an Ohio river, killing more than 40,000 fish, officials said.
“There is a right way and a wrong way to do business,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in a May 7 news release. “When your business pollutes Ohio’s natural resources, you are held accountable.”
The Kenton Man pleaded guilty to negligent discharge of a pollutant without a permit — in violation of the Clean Water Act — in 2021, the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio said in a news release. The man is accused of dumping 7,000 gallons of hazardous wastewater containing ammonia into the Scioto River.
“There are almost no misdemeanor resolutions in federal court, but I’m glad the government recognized this as a fair and just resolution because (he) didn’t intend to release a pollutant into the river or cause any damage to the environment,” he said. of men. attorney Lindsay K. Gerdes told McClatchy News on May 9.
The debris involved in the April 17, 2021 incident came from two cargo facilities — Cessna Transport Inc. and AG Bradley Inc. – owned and operated by the 72-year-old, officials said.
According to the Cessna Transport website, the company specializes in transporting hazardous substances such as sulfuric and nitric acid, as well as propane and anhydrous ammonia.
McClatchy News reached out to Cessna Transport for comment on May 9 but did not immediately receive a response. Contact information for AG Bradley is not available.
The contaminants flowed about 18 miles downstream from where it was illegally dumped, in an area “commonly used for recreational fishing,” according to officials.
The fish kill was reported by a fisherman in Hardin County, according to authorities.
“The release killed 43,094 fish, including black bass, flathead catfish, sunfish, and minnows, at a cost of $22,508.60,” officials said.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable,” US Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko said in a statement. “The Scioto River is home to abundant fish and other wildlife, and is an important community resource, flowing through more than 230 miles of Ohio.”
Sentencing is scheduled for August 12.
Hardin County is about a 70 mile drive northwest from Columbus.
Liquid nitrogen mishap kills 750,000 fish in Iowa and Missouri rivers, officials say
The fisherman was electrocuted while casting a line into a Florida pond, the lawsuit says
Saving the tigers is the last US aid project to Russia. Now that fund is at risk
