Clackamas, OR – Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc., a subsidiary of the German optics giant Zeiss International, was sentenced to pay $750,000 in criminal fines in April 2018 for illegally discharging hazardous wastewater from its Oregon manufacturing facility. The company pleaded guilty in January of the same year to a single count of violating wastewater pretreatment requirements under the Clean Water Act, a case brought to light by a multi-year investigation by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
According to court documents, Zeiss knowingly circumvented environmental regulations by repeatedly releasing a cocktail of dangerous substances into the Clackamas County sewer system. These included cadmium-and-lead alloys, highly acidic lens polish, and potassium hydroxide – all substances requiring specialized and costly disposal. Investigators discovered the company attempted to neutralize the potassium hydroxide with hydrochloric and muriatic acids, further complicating the waste stream and increasing the risk to the Kellogg Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The deception began in 2012, when Clackamas Water Environmental Services issued Zeiss an industrial user survey, as mandated by the Clean Water Act. The company responded by falsely claiming its wastewater output was a mere 200 gallons per day of harmless “green lens cleaner,” requiring no pretreatment. This was a deliberate misrepresentation, concealing the true volume and hazardous nature of its discharges. For years, Zeiss operated outside of established pretreatment regulations, avoiding substantial costs associated with proper waste management.
EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division employed covert monitoring in 2015, installing pH probes directly in the sewer line leading from the Zeiss facility. These probes revealed a pattern of unlawful discharges on approximately two-thirds of the days monitored, consistently recording excessively high or low pH levels indicative of illegal dumping. Government estimates place the amount Zeiss avoided in proper disposal costs at $382,000 over the duration of the offense.
The case, prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan W. Bounds and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karla Gebel Perrin, underscores the EPA’s commitment to holding corporations accountable for environmental crimes. The illegal discharges not only posed a threat to the integrity of the wastewater treatment plant but also potentially endangered the surrounding ecosystem and public health. While the $750,000 fine represents a significant penalty, critics argue that it may be insufficient to deter similar behavior from large multinational corporations.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of strict adherence to environmental regulations and the potential consequences of prioritizing profit over responsible waste management. The EPA continues to investigate potential violations of the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws, seeking to protect communities and the environment from harmful pollution.
Key Facts
- Defendant: Carl Zeiss Vision, Inc.
- Location: Clackamas, Oregon
- Year: 2018
- Crime: Illegal discharge of hazardous wastewater
- Statutes Violated: 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(1)(A) – Violating wastewater pretreatment requirements of the Clean Water Act.
- Penalty: $750,000 in criminal fines
- Discharged Substances: Cadmium-and-lead alloys, acidic lens polish, potassium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, and muriatic acid.
- False Reporting: Zeiss falsely reported wastewater as 200 gallons/day of “green lens cleaner.”
Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database
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