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Michigan Auto Shop Owner Convicted on Hazardous Waste, Conspiracy Charges

Release Date: 10/01/2003
Contact Information:


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

(10/01/2003) George C. Singleton of Clinton, Mich., was convicted on Sept. 24 for conspiring to violate the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and on three counts of violating RCRA. Singleton is the owner of RT Automotive in Ypsilanti, Mich. In 1998, the defendant entered into an agreement with Automax Inc., of Ypsilanti, an auto salvage yard, to dispose of approximately 70 drums of paint wastes containing ignitable materials. Singleton directed the illegal disposal of the wastes in Van Buren Township, Mich. Two police officers were exposed to dangerous fumes from a trailer involved in the disposal and required medical care. Singleton could receive a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000 on each of the four counts for which he was convicted. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division (Cleveland) and the FBI with the assistance of EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Detroit.