All News Releases By Date

PA FOUR INDICTED IN HAZARDOUS WASTE CASE

Release Date: 2/28/97
Contact Information:

PA FOUR INDICTED IN HAZARDOUS WASTE CASE

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1997

FOUR INDICTED IN HAZARDOUS WASTE CASE

A grand jury in the U.S. District Court in Boise, Idaho, returned a four-count indictment on Feb. 12, against two individuals and two corporations. George Betts, owner of Lam Pine Inc., currently located in Payette, Idaho, and Larry Hatch owner of LHT Inc., a licensed hazardous materials transporter, were charged with violating the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Hazardous Materials Transporation Act, for allegedly transporting hazardous wastes without complying with federal requirements related to shipping manifests, marking, labeling, and making placards for containers. Betts and Lam Pine Inc., allegedly generated approximately 236 55- gallon drums of paint and solvent waste at the company's former facility in LaGrande, Ore., from early 1994 to approximately August 1995. Hatch and LHT Inc., were hired by Betts to transport the waste to the Payette facility. It is alleged that Hatch personally supervised and instructed the drivers that the loads did not need placards even though numerous drums had labels indicating they contained flammable materials. In August 1996, a Superfund removal action was completed at the Payette facility. The drums of hazardous waste were disposed by the government at the cost of approximately $120,000. This investigation involed EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and environmental enforcement authorities from the states of Idaho and Oregon.

R-35                              #  #  #