Lee S. Woodside, Fraud, NM 1989

Albuquerque, NM – A vice president at the now-defunct Plateau, Inc. refinery company received a remarkably lenient sentence in 1989 after pleading guilty to federal charges stemming from falsified reports submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lee S. Woodside, then VP of Refining and Marketing, admitted to knowingly providing inaccurate data regarding lead usage in gasoline production, a violation of federal clean air regulations.

The case, originating from Plateau’s operations in Bloomfield, New Mexico and Roosevelt, Utah, revealed a deliberate effort to mislead regulators. Plateau, Inc. had already been slapped with a $130,000 civil penalty by the EPA in June 1988, preceding the criminal indictment. The subsequent investigation uncovered that Woodside, along with Refinery Planning Manager Gary Masson, actively conspired to conceal the true extent of lead additives used in their gasoline blending process.

An initial three-count indictment, filed July 14, 1988, charged both men with conspiracy (18 U.S.C. 371) and two counts of making false statements (18 U.S.C. 1001). However, the charges were soon amended. A superseding information filed September 14, 1988, specifically tied the false statements to violations of the Clean Air Act, Section 113(c)(2) (42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2)), which mandates accurate reporting of lead additive usage. Masson swiftly pled guilty to all three counts, receiving a $3,000 fine on November 3, 1988.

Woodside initially prepared to stand trial, but dramatically changed course on November 28, 1988, entering a guilty plea to the same three counts just as proceedings were set to begin. Despite the serious nature of the offenses – deliberately circumventing environmental regulations and potentially endangering public health – the sentencing handed down on February 10, 1989, was shockingly light. Woodside received a mere five minutes of unsupervised probation. The disparity between the severity of the crimes and the minimal penalty has raised questions about the handling of environmental enforcement cases during that era.

The case highlights a concerning pattern of corporate deception and the challenges faced by regulators in holding individuals accountable for environmental crimes. While Plateau, Inc. faced a civil penalty, the lenient sentencing of its top executives suggests a lack of sufficient deterrents for those willing to prioritize profit over compliance with environmental laws. The EPA’s criminal enforcement program aims to punish those who knowingly violate environmental regulations, and this case begs the question of whether justice was truly served.

Key Facts

Defendant: Lee S. Woodside
Company: Plateau, Inc.
Location: Bloomfield, New Mexico & Roosevelt, Utah
Year: 1989
Statutes Violated: 18 U.S.C. 1001, 42 U.S.C. 7413(c)(2), 18 U.S.C. 371
Penalties: Woodside received 5 minutes of unsupervised probation. Masson paid a $3,000 fine. Plateau, Inc. paid a $130,000 civil penalty.
Crime: Falsifying reports to the EPA regarding lead usage in gasoline production.

GrimyTimes will continue to investigate similar cases of environmental crime and corporate malfeasance.

Source: EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Database

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