KIK LLC Hit with $100k Fine for Illegal Bleach Discharge

SEATTLE — A grim reminder of the consequences of industrial negligence: KIK (Virginia) LLC has been hit with a $100,000 fine for spilling bleach into Salem’s sanitary sewer system without proper permits. The company pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court and agreed to pay $75,000 in criminal fines and an additional $25,000 in community service payments.

KIK (Virginia), which manufactured household products, was caught on September 4, 2003, when local authorities discovered high levels of bleach in the city’s sewer lines. An investigation revealed that employees had been washing spilled bleach down the drain for years, despite a lack of authorization and environmental monitoring.

Bleach, classified as a pollutant under the Clean Water Act, can cause significant damage to sewage infrastructure. The company’s actions not only put public health at risk but also threatened the delicate balance of waterways in the Salem area.

Eileen Sobek, Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division, emphasized the importance of maintaining our sewer systems: ‘We take seriously our obligation to prosecute those whose conduct risks harm to these vital systems.’ KIK (Virginia) will also serve one year of probation, during which it must develop an environmental management system.

The EPA’s Special Agent in Charge David Dillion echoed concerns about the environmental impact: ‘Dumping bleach into the city’s sewer system risked causing damage to both sewage treatment equipment and the environment. It’s only appropriate that KIK (Virginia) instates a management system to prevent such incidents from recurring.’ The fine and community service payments will be split between the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Environmental Education Fund, supporting local water quality improvement projects.

The investigation was a joint effort by the EPA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Blue Ridge Environmental Task Force, and federal prosecutors from the Western District of Virginia.

RELATED: Chemical Waste Dumping Hits $75K Fine in Salem