Winchester, NH – The A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Inc. and six of its executives faced federal charges in 1983 for deliberately circumventing environmental regulations and illegally dumping wastewater into the Ashuelot River. The case, brought by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), revealed a calculated scheme to bypass the company’s own wastewater treatment plant, despite receiving substantial federal funding intended to *improve* its environmental performance.
According to court documents, the company removed a critical plug from a discharge pipe, allowing untreated wastewater to flow directly from a holding tank into the Ashuelot River. This blatant violation of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit occurred while A.C. Lawrence Leather was simultaneously receiving $238,420 in EPA research grants and funds. These funds were specifically allocated to demonstrate a process for meeting the “best available treatment standards” for the tanning industry—covering *all* pollutants generated during manufacturing.
Indictment and Guilty Pleas
A 68-count indictment was returned on December 15, 1982, against the company and its key personnel. Charges included conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371), mail fraud (18 U.S.C. 1341), violations of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A) and 33 U.S.C. 1346), submission of false statements (18 U.S.C. 1001), and making false claims to the EPA (18 U.S.C. 287). Those indicted included company President Arthur Marshall, Vice President Robert Goodspeed, Plant Superintendent George Johnson, Director of Manufacturing David Stone, and former Director of Maintenance and Engineering, Walter Barber.
In a stunning turn of events, all individual defendants pleaded guilty on March 10, 1983, following the government’s opening arguments at trial. Barber and Stone each pleaded guilty to five counts under the Clean Water Act and one count of making false statements. Marshall and Goodspeed admitted to five counts of violating the Clean Water Act. Johnson took responsibility for ten counts of illegal discharge. The company itself faced all 68 counts and proceeded to trial.
Conviction and Aftermath
On April 7, 1983, a jury found A. C. Lawrence Leather Company guilty on all counts. The case stands as a stark example of corporate malfeasance and the deliberate disregard for environmental protection. While specific sentencing details were not immediately available, convictions under these statutes carry significant penalties, including substantial fines and potential imprisonment. Violations of the Clean Water Act can result in fines of up to $10,000 per day for each violation, while mail fraud carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison per count. False statements to a federal agency can also result in imprisonment.
Key Facts
- Defendant: A. C. Lawrence Leather Company, Inc.
- Location: Winchester, New Hampshire
- Year: 1983
- Crime: Illegal discharge of pollutants into the Ashuelot River, fraud, and false statements.
- Statutes Violated: Title 18 U.S. Criminal Code, Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1346, 18 U.S.C. 371, 18 U.S.C. 287, 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A), 18 U.S.C. 1001, 18 U.S.C. 1341)
- Funding: Company received $238,420 in EPA grants for wastewater treatment improvements.
- Method: Removal of a plug in a discharge pipe to bypass the treatment plant.
The GrimyTimes will continue to follow any further developments in this case and investigate similar instances of environmental crime.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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