Newsroom
All News Releases By Date
Michigan Auto Shop Owner Indicted on Hazardous Waste Charges
Release Date: 07/23/2003
Contact Information:
John Millett 202-564-7842 / millett.john@epa.gov
(07/23/03) On July 9, in U.S. District Court in Michigan, George C. Singleton of Clinton, Mich., was indicted on four counts of violating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Singleton is the owner of RT Automotive in Ypsalinti, Mich. In 1998, the defendant allegedly entered into an agreement with Automax Inc., of Ypsalanti, Mich., an auto salvage yard, to dispose of approximately 70 drums of paint wastes containing ignitable materials. The indictment alleges that in August 1998 Singleton illegally disposed of the wastes by placing them in a trailer and abandoning the trailer in an open field in Van Buren Township, Mich. Two police officers required medical care after approaching the trailer because of exposure to fumes. If convicted, the defendant could receive a maximum sentence per count of conviction of up to five years in prison and/or fines of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI and the case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law.
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.
