The United States Department of Justice (“DOJ”) issued an April 23rd news release stating that a federal judge in Oregon sentenced two companies responsible for the operation of the J.H. Baxter wood treatment facility in Eugene, Oregon, and their president, for hazardous waste and Clean Air Act violations.
J.H. Baxter & Co. Inc. and J.H. Baxter & Co., A California Limited Partnership (collectively, “J.H. Baxter”) are stated to have previously pleaded guilty to charges of illegally treating hazardous waste and knowingly violating the Clean Air Act’s regulations for hazardous air pollutants.
The president of the company is stated to have pleaded guilty to two counts of making false statements in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.
DOJ states that on more than 100 different days:
…J.H. Baxter knowingly and illegally boiled off hazardous waste, emitting the discharge into the air.
The news release further states that the president made false statements about the unlawful practice.
The companies are stated to have been ordered to pay a total of $1.5 million in criminal fines. Further, the Court ordered the companies to serve five years of probation and the companies’ president to serve ninety days in prison and one year of supervised release.
A copy of the news release can be downloaded here.
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