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Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Dumping Toxic Waste into Mahoning River
An Ohio man has pleaded guilty to dumping toxic waste into the Mahoning River, a major waterway in Northern Ohio. Michael L. Guesman, 34, of Cortland, Ohio, admitted to discharging brine and oil-based drilling mud into a stormwater drain on numerous occasions, putting the environment, wildlife, and human health at risk.
According to court documents, Guesman was an employee of Hardrock Excavating LLC, a company that provided services to the oil and gas industry in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The facility, located in Youngstown, Ohio, was within one mile of the Mahoning River.
Between December 12, 2012, and January 31, 2013, Guesman, at the direction of the owner of Hardrock, Benedict W. Lupo, emptied some of the waste liquid being stored at the facility into a nearby stormwater drain. The waste liquid included a mixture of brine and oil-based drilling mud, which contained hazardous pollutants such as benzene and toluene.
The stormwater drain flowed into an unnamed tributary of the Mahoning River, which is a waterway of the United States. Federal charges against Lupo and Hardrock remain pending, with both facing one count of violating the Clean Water Act.
Guesman is scheduled to be sentenced on November 15, 2013, and faces a maximum penalty of fines and imprisonment. The case highlights the importance of protecting Ohio’s waterways and the consequences of environmental crimes.
“Clean, fresh water is our greatest resource in Northern Ohio,” said Steven M. Dettelbach, the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will aggressively investigate and prosecute cases in which people pollute Ohio’s streams, rivers, and lakes.”
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine also commented on the case, saying, “Opening a valve and dumping brine and oil-based drilling mud into a river is inexcusable. We each have a role in keeping the state’s waters safe for all Ohioans and actions like this will not be tolerated.”
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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