  
2/4/2026
WT Staff
 Got water questions? Have knowledge of a CWA crime? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email us at info@wtoh.us
Wednesday, February 4, 2026 345 pm EST
CWA CrimeBox
Environmental Crimes Historic Conviction: Fiscal Year 2012; Case ID# CR_2234 (Ohio)
An otherwise diligent company earned a criminal record for a single negligent violation of the CWA, sentenced to fines and restitution of $150,000
One of 867 Criminal Prosecutions under the Clean Water Act (from 1989-2024)
The Defendant in this case is a business corporation operating a tank cleaning service in Walbridge, OH. The facility and cleaning service were purchased from the former owners, PSC Container Services, LLC.
The Defendant cleaned truck-mounted tanks, aka "over the road" liquid haulers. A variety of materials had to be scrubbed out of the tanks between loads, including hazardous materials. The Defendant drew clean water from the public potable water supply to perform the cleaning service, generating a high volume of contaminated wastewater daily. The process wastewater was treated on site to remove hazardous materials and neutralize the pH, prior to discharge into the publicly owned sanitary sewer system.
In the summer of 2006, the wastewater pretreatment system at the facility failed. Employees cleaning out hydrochloric acid from a tanker truck made a decision to discharge the acidic cleaning water directly to the sewer, by-passing the broken down pre-treatment system. While approximately 3000 gallons of acidic effluent flowed down to the public wastewater treatment plant, the Defendant's employees did not call the Ohio emergency spill line, did not contact the municipality or the Ohio environmental authorities.
For this single incident, the Defendant was charged with one felony violation of the Clean Water Act, negligent discharge of pollutants. The Federal District Court in northwest Ohio sentenced the defendant to a fine of $112,500, along with restitution payable to Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Division of Surface Waters.
Federal Fines: $112,500; Restitution: $37,500
See last week's CWA CrimeBox here, False statements cover illegal discharges from an Ohio auto parts plant. $1.7 million in fines later, three managers were sentenced to prison and/or home confinement, community service and probation, here.
CWA CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.
|
|
|
|
