Michael Mamelli, Sr., Environmental Violations, California 2015

IMPERIAL COUNTY, CA – A California storage facility and its owner have been sentenced for years of illegally dumping untreated human waste and sewage into the ground, potentially contaminating local groundwater near the popular Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. Glamis Dunes Storage Inc. and owner Michael Mamelli, Sr. operated a scheme to bypass environmental regulations, prioritizing profit over public health and environmental safety.

According to court documents, the operation began in 2010, despite the company receiving a conditional use permit in 2007 that explicitly forbade underground disposal. The permit allowed for a 20,000-gallon holding tank for RV waste, with the stipulation that all collected sewage would be legally transported and treated at the Holtville wastewater treatment plant. However, Mamelli and Glamis Dunes Storage instead commissioned the construction of a hidden leach field – an underground drainage system designed to disperse the waste directly into the soil.

Investigators discovered that the defendants concealed a pump connected to the RV holding tank and a newly installed pipe leading to the illicit leach field. Power to the pump was deliberately hidden under gravel to avoid detection. The scheme escalated in 2012 with the addition of two 2,500-gallon tanks, further increasing the volume of illegally disposed sewage. Over four years, potentially *millions* of gallons of untreated waste were discharged into the ground without authorization from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Table of Contents

Toggle

Legal Ramifications & Penalties

The illegal dumping violated both Title 18 U.S. Criminal Code and the Safe Drinking Water Act. Specifically, the defendants pleaded guilty to violating 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(2), which prohibits knowingly making false statements to the government (regarding the waste disposal method), and 42 U.S.C. 300h(2)(b)(2), a provision of the Safe Drinking Water Act that prohibits the unpermitted underground injection of pollutants.

The fallout from the investigation included a guilty plea from Glamis Dunes Storage in November 2014 and sentencing in April 2015 to five years of probation, an $8,000 fine, and $25,212 in restitution. Michael Mamelli, Sr. received a sentence of 12 months of home detention and was also ordered to pay $25,211 in restitution. Michael Mamelli, Jr. received three years of probation for his involvement.

Key Facts

Defendant: Glamis Dunes Storage Inc. & Michael Mamelli, Sr.
Location: Imperial County, California
Crime: Illegal dumping of untreated human waste and sewage
Duration: February 2010 – March 2012 (and beyond)
Method: Construction and use of an unpermitted underground leach field.
Laws Violated: 18 U.S.C. 1001(a)(2), 42 U.S.C. 300h(2)(b)(2)
Penalties: Probation, fines totaling $8,000, restitution of over $50,000, and home detention.

The case highlights the ongoing threat of illegal waste disposal and the importance of strict enforcement of environmental regulations, particularly in sensitive areas like the Imperial Sand Dunes where groundwater contamination poses a significant risk to both public health and the delicate desert ecosystem. The EPA continues to investigate potential long-term environmental impacts stemming from the illegal dumping operation.

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

Related Federal Cases