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PA MISSOURI SEWAGE TREATMENT COMPANY OWNER PLEADS GUILTY FOR VIOLATING THE CLEAN WATER ACT

Release Date: 07/24/98
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FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1998
MISSOURI SEWAGE TREATMENT COMPANY OWNER PLEADS GUILTY FOR VIOLATING THE CLEAN WATER ACT

Eugene Fribis of St. Louis County, Mo., owner of Imperial Utilities Corp., pleaded guilty on July 20, in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri in St. Louis to violating the Clean Water Act. The defendant admitted that he was responsible for the August 1977 discharge of wastewater, sewage and sewage sludge from the Seckman School facility in St. Louis County into Rock Creek, which is a tributary of the Mississippi River. The discharge of sewage and sludge can introduce E. coli and other harmful bacteria into surface waters and make the water unsafe for recreational uses and can cause harm to aquatic life. When sentenced, Fribis faces a maximum of up to five years imprisonment and/or fines of up to $250,000. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources with the assistance of EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center.

R-96 ###