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PA CEO OF TX. HIGHWAY MAINT. CHARGED WITH DUMPING HAZ. WASTE

Release Date: 06/14/96
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PA CEO OF TX. HIGHWAY MAINT. CHARGED WITH DUMPING HAZ. WASTE

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1996

CEO OF TEXAS HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE CORP. CHARGED WITH DUMPING HAZARDOUS WASTE INTO GROUNDWATER

On June 13, Thomas R. Rudd, president of Striping Technology Inc. (STI), one of the largest pavement, road and highway striping contracting businesses in Texas, pleaded guilty to one felony count of violating the Clean Water Act. Rudd is charged with ordering employees to dump hazardous paint waste and other pollutants into pits near a tributary of Black Ford Creek near Tyler, Texas. The wastes containing toluene, methyl ethyl ketone and waste lead had been dumped at Rudd's direction on Oct. 19, 1994, at an STI facility in Smith County and on a ranch. In addition, the investigation uncovered three other sites in Tarrant and Smith counties where Rudd had illegally disposed of hazardous paint wastes. As part of the plea agreement Rudd will be personally responsible for the costs of environmental cleanup at all five sites. He also faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The agreement also calls for Rudd to provide $250,000 to a trust fund for the East Texas Ecological Center which is a project of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission and the U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas.

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