RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A Nevada man will spend two years in prison and pay a fine of $680,000 after being found guilty of dumping grease waste and wastewater into the wastewater treatment system of Reno and Sparks.
Matthew Thurman, the general manager of Environmental Resources Inc, was convicted of violating the Clean Water Act. Thurman will also serve one year of parole after he is released.
The company he was doing business as, Easy Rooter Plumbing, will also serve three years of parole and pay a $680,000 fine.
The DOJ says that, for years, Easy Rooter Plumbing and Thurman orchestrated the illegal discharge of grease waste and wastewater collected from food-service businesses into the treatment systems. Local regulators warned the company about the discharges, but when they continued, the Environmental Protection Agency began an investigation.
During the investigation, Thurman lied to federal agents and blamed his competitors for the illegal discharges.
“This case underscores the importance of holding individuals and corporations accountable when they knowingly harm our environment and attempt to obstruct justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Violations of the Clean Water Act are serious crimes, and today’s sentencing sends a clear message that such conduct will not be tolerated.”
“The defendant defrauded clients, exposed Nevada communities to contaminated sewage, and engaged in conduct that required taxpayer dollars to be spent on costly repairs,” said Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann for the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Today’s significant sentencing demonstrates that EPA will continue to bring to justice environmental criminals.”
Copyright 2024 KOLO. All rights reserved.
