Tim Miller, Clean Water Act Violation, California 2023

Orange County, CA – Klean Waters Inc., a wastewater treatment facility, and its president, Tim Miller, have been sentenced to three years of probation and a combined $50,000 criminal fine for violating the Clean Water Act. The sentencing, handed down on April 14, 2023, concludes a case highlighting a deliberate disregard for environmental regulations and the potential harm to public sanitation systems.

According to court documents, between 2013 and April 2015, Klean Waters was authorized to receive and treat non-hazardous industrial wastewater before discharging it into the Orange County Sanitation District’s (OCSD) sewer system. The OCSD operates a federally-approved pretreatment program designed to enforce national standards under the Clean Water Act, meaning any violation of OCSD regulations is considered a federal offense.

The company obtained a permit from OCSD in 2013, which explicitly required regular testing of wastewater to ensure pollutant levels remained within permissible limits before discharge. However, investigators discovered that in April 2015, Tim Miller knowingly directed the discharge of untreated and untested wastewater into the OCSD sewer system. This reckless action meant the composition and concentration of pollutants remained entirely unknown, posing a potential risk to the efficacy of the OCSD’s treatment processes and potentially the broader environment.

Federal prosecutors argued that Miller’s decision wasn’t a matter of negligence, but a conscious choice to circumvent established protocols and avoid the costs associated with proper wastewater analysis and treatment. This intentional violation of permit conditions and federal law led to the criminal charges and subsequent conviction. The OCSD’s pretreatment program is critical to protecting both the environment and the infrastructure responsible for treating our communities’ wastewater.

The case underscores the importance of stringent oversight and enforcement of environmental regulations. While the $50,000 fine and probationary period may seem relatively modest, legal experts suggest that the conviction itself serves as a deterrent to other facilities considering similar cost-cutting measures at the expense of public health and environmental safety. The EPA’s criminal enforcement program aims to hold accountable those who knowingly endanger our waterways and sanitation systems.

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Key Facts

Defendant: Klean Waters Inc. and Tim Miller
Location: Orange County, California
Years Active: 2013 – 2015
Statutes Violated: 33 U.S.C. 1319(c)(2)(A) – Clean Water Act
Penalty: 36 months probation and a $50,000 joint and several criminal fine
Nature of Crime: Knowingly discharging untreated and untested wastewater into a municipal sewer system, violating permit requirements and federal law.

GrimyTimes will continue to follow this case and report on any further developments.

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

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