A Cedar Falls, Iowa man who knowingly stored hazardous waste at his defunct electroplating facility without a permit has been sentenced to two years in federal prison.
Richard Delp, 62, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, received the prison term after pleading guilty to a charge of unlawfully storing hazardous waste on August 3, 2016.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearing showed that Delp owned and operated Cedar Valley Electroplating (CVE) from 2004 to 2011, an electroplating facility located at 5611 Westminster Drive, Cedar Falls, Black Hawk County, Iowa. Neither Delp nor CVE had a permit to treat, store or dispose of hazardous waste under federal law.
The facility generated more than 1,000 kilograms of hazardous waste per month and produced numerous process chemicals and wastes, including caustic or acid compounds, chromium, zinc, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide, and other hazardous materials.
Inspectors from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found hazardous waste being handled and stored unlawfully during inspections on September 9, 2005, and September 20, 2010. The inspectors told Delp of their findings, but he failed to comply with the law.
On September 30, 2011, Delp closed CVE, leaving numerous process chemicals and wastes inside and surrounding the facility. A search warrant executed by EPA in 2012 revealed hundreds of gallons of hazardous waste, including chromium, zinc, and other toxic materials, stored in unlabeled containers and leaking tanks.
The EPA spent $789,138.03 to clean up the contamination, including removing earth, containers, and interior portions of the property. The on-site clean-up work concluded on October 23, 2012.
Defendant Name: Richard Delp
Exact Criminal Charges: Unlawfully storing hazardous waste
City and State: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Exact Date: August 3, 2016 (guilty plea)
Sentence or Outcome: 2 years in federal prison
Dollar Amounts: $789,138.03 (clean-up costs)
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Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Environmental Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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