In a shocking case of environmental disregard, Boyd Farm LLC and its owner Frazier T. Boyd III have been sentenced for criminally filling wetlands in Goochland and Louisa Counties, Virginia.
The company and its owner were found guilty of a felony violation of the Clean Water Act, which prohibits unpermitted discharges into covered wetlands and other waters of the United States.
Between 2017 and 2019, Boyd Farm’s workers used excavators and other earthmoving equipment to clear land at three sites in the Piedmont region, leaving behind piles of dirt, slash, and stumps. The debris from these piles was then dumped into wetlands and streams at the properties.
The Clean Water Act requires permits for such discharges, but Boyd Farm and Boyd failed to obtain them, despite being aware of the requirement. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had previously issued an Administrative Order to Boyd Farm, requiring compliance with the Clean Water Act and restoration of impacted wetlands and streams at another property in Goochland County.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case, with assistance from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim and U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber made the announcement of the sentencing.
As a result of the sentencing, Boyd Farm LLC will pay a fine of $300,000 and serve a year of probation. Frazier T. Boyd III, the company’s owner, will serve 30 days of home confinement and a year of probation.
The case serves as a reminder of the importance of environmental regulations and the consequences of ignoring them. The public can rest assured that the authorities will prosecute environmental crimes to the fullest extent of the law.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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