Clackamas County, OR – A decades-old case of illegal toxic waste dumping has resurfaced as records reveal the details of a 1992 criminal enforcement action brought against Betty Rose White and several co-defendants. The group operated a scrap metal salvaging operation focused on extracting copper from electrical components, but their pursuit of profit led to a pattern of reckless environmental damage across Oregon, including sensitive U.S. Forest Service land.
According to court documents, White, along with Mirich, Howard, Schlickeiser, Jacobsen, and a fugitive identified as Capps, systematically dismantled electrical capacitors, ballasts, and transformers. The process, while intended to recover valuable copper, generated hazardous waste in the form of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Instead of disposing of these PCBs legally, the group illegally dumped them at no fewer than seven separate locations throughout Clackamas County and beyond. The dumping not only contaminated the land but also posed a significant risk to public health and the environment.
The investigation, led by Oregon state authorities, culminated in indictments in February 1992. The defendants faced multiple charges under Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS), including first-degree criminal mischief (ORS 164.365), reckless burning (ORS 164.335), placing noxious/offensive substances – specifically PCBs – on property (ORS 164.895), and failure to maintain required metal purchase records (ORS 165.107). The charges reflected the deliberate and dangerous nature of their actions.
Plea Deals and Sentencing
Over the following months, the defendants began to enter pleas. White pled guilty to two counts of reckless burning of transformers and one count of criminal mischief. Mirich and Howard each admitted to a single count of reckless burning. Schlickeiser pled guilty to reckless burning and illegal dumping of noxious substances, while Jacobsen faced two reckless burning charges and one count of illegal dumping. These plea agreements allowed the prosecution to secure convictions without the need for lengthy and costly trials.
Sentencing occurred on June 25, 1992. White received a lenient sentence of one day of incarceration, coupled with 60 months of probation and a $10,000 fine that was ultimately suspended. Jacobsen received 60 months probation and a $2,500 suspended fine. Schlickeiser, Howard, and Mirich each received 36 months probation and $1,000 suspended fines. However, one defendant, Capps, remains at large, evading justice for their role in the illegal dumping operation. The relatively light sentences, even with probation, have drawn scrutiny over the years, given the environmental harm caused.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Betty Rose White, along with Mirich, Howard, Schlickeiser, Jacobsen, and Capps (fugitive)
- Location: Clackamas County, Oregon and U.S. Forest Service land
- Year: 1992
- Crime: Illegal dumping of PCBs from salvaged electrical components.
- Statutes Violated: ORS 164.895 (Placing noxious substances), ORS 164.365 (Criminal Mischief), ORS 164.335 (Reckless Burning), ORS 165.107 (Metal Purchase Records)
- Penalties: Sentences ranged from one day incarceration/60 months probation/$10,000 suspended fine (White) to 36 months probation/$1,000 suspended fine (Howard, Mirich, Schlickeiser). Jacobsen received 60 months probation and $2,500 suspended fine.
GrimyTimes is continuing to investigate the long-term environmental impact of this illegal dumping operation and the effectiveness of the penalties imposed. The case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by improper handling of hazardous waste and the importance of rigorous enforcement of environmental regulations.
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
Related Federal Cases
- James Kearbey, Illegal Dumping, OR 2003 · Illinois
- Douglas Lee Moser, Illegal Dumping, OR 2012 · Alabama
- Gary Field, Illegal Pollution, Oregon 2001 · Alabama
- Michael Walker, Felony Dumping, MS 2011 · New York
- Kinder Morgan, Ocean Dumping, OR 2008 · California
