Newsroom
All News Releases By Date
COLORADO MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY DISCHARGING PLATING WASTES INTO DENVER SEWERS
Release Date: 07/06/2000
Contact Information:
FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, JULY 6, 2000
COLORADO MAN SENTENCED FOR ILLEGALLY DISCHARGING
PLATING WASTES INTO DENVER SEWERS
James Cahill was sentenced June 27 to serve one year in prison and perform 100 hours of community service by the U.S. District Court in Denver for violating the Clean Water Act. Cahill is vice-president of AAA Plating Inc., which is located in Denver, Colo. Between 1995 and 1996, the defendant and his corporation allowed electroplating and metal finishing wastes containing high concentrations of metals including zinc, cadmium, copper, chromium and nickel to be discharged into the Denver municipal sewer system, despite repeated warnings by civil authorities that such discharges were illegal. The release of these metals into sewers can damage sewage treatment equipment and can kill bacteria needed for the proper treatment of sewage in treatment plants. AAA Plating was previously sentenced on May 24 to pay a fine of $230,000 for its role in this offense. The case was investigated by EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the FBI with assistance from EPA’s National Enforcement Investigations Center. The case was prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Denver.
R-105 ###
Search this collection of releases | or search all news releases
View selected historical press releases from 1970 to 1998 in the EPA History website.
