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NORTH CAROLINA MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL MERCURY DISPOSAL

Release Date: 01/18/2002
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 2002
NORTH CAROLINA MAN CHARGED WITH ILLEGAL MERCURY DISPOSAL

Luke C. Hester 202-564-7818 / [email protected]


In a North Carolina state case supported by EPA, Thomas Armstrong, owner and operator of Precision Technologies Inc., in Durham, N.C., was indicted in Durham County Superior Court on charges that he allegedly abandoned several large scales containing mercury on the banks of Lake Jordan. The mercury, a toxic chemical which can be absorbed through the skin and cause serious neurological disorders, leaked onto the ground and was discovered by a fisherman. If convicted, Armstrong faces a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of $100 per day of violation. The case was investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is being prosecuted by the Durham County State’s Attorney’s Office in Durham.

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