A Knoxville, Tennessee man and his company have pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act.
Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services LLC (DES) both pleaded guilty on August 20 to knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit.
According to court documents, Domermuth operated DES, which was engaged in the business of processing petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Knoxville.
On July 26, 2018, DES workers rolled over a previously exhumed underground storage tank, spilling a mixture of petroleum and water onto a concrete pad at the facility. Domermuth and his employees then used a portable pump to pump the petroleum-contaminated mixture over a retaining wall at DES.
The oily mixture flowed over a neighboring property and into a culvert leading to the Holston River.
Domermuth faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release of up to one year.
The parties have recommended to the Court that DES pay a $50,000 fine and be placed on probation for three years.
Sentencing has been set for December 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Environmental Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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