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CEO OF OHIO COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLATION

Release Date: 10/04/2001
Contact Information:


FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2001

CEO OF OHIO COMPANY PLEADS GUILTY TO CLEAN WATER ACT VIOLATION
Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / hester.luke@epa.gov


Ernest U. Fisco of Beachwood, Ohio, CEO of AAA Pipe Cleaning Corp., pleaded guilty on Sept. 28 to ordering employees to dump waste into a storm drain through an illegal pipe, in violation of the Clean Water Act. As part of the plea, the defendant signed an agreement which calls for him to spend five months in prison, pay a $55,000 fine and pay $50,000 in restitution. The storm drain involved empties into Kingsbury Run, a tributary of the Cuyahoga River. Samples of the wastes were analyzed and contained fecal coliform bacteria and industrial zinc and copper waste. Discharging fecal coliform bacteria, zinc and copper into surface waters can make them unsafe for drinking and recreational uses and creates a potential hazard to the health of fish and wildlife populations. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Cleveland is prosecuting the case.

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