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PA TWO MINNESOTA MEN INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL WASTEWATER DISCHAR.

Release Date: 02/19/97
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PA TWO MINNESOTA MEN INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL WASTEWATER DISCHAR.

FOR RELEASE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1997

TWO MINNESOTA MEN INDICTED FOR ILLEGAL WASTEWATER DISCHARGE

On Feb. 5, in the U.S. District Court in Minneapolis, Minn., Timothy Guzek, former general manager of Darling International's Blue Earth Rendering Plant in Blue Earth, Minn., and Douglas Nave, the former plant manager were both indicted on one felony count of conspiring to violate the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), five felony counts of violating the CWA for alleged illegal discharges of wastewater from the plant into the Blue Earth River, nine felony counts for allegedly tampering with water samples and six felony counts for allegedly falsifying reports of the plant's discharges. The plant turns animal wastes such as fat, blood, feathers, meat and bone into useful products. Gary Keck, the plant's former wastewater treatment operator, pleaded guilty in January to conspiring to violate the CWA. During his plea hearing Keck admitted in court that, at the direction of his supervisors, he illegally discharged wastewater, tampered with samples and falsified records filed with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Darling International also previously pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a total of $4 million in fines and environmental restoration costs. Both the company and Keck await sentencing. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

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