Criminal Enforcement

EPA's criminal enforcement program uses stringent sanctions, including jail sentences, to promote deterrence and help ensure compliance in order to protect human health and the environment. Criminal enforcement is often used against the most serious environmental violations as well as those which involve egregious negligence or conduct involving intentional, willful or knowing disregard of the law.

Civil Enforcement brings polluters into compliance with environmental laws without the use of criminal sanctions and Cleanup Enforcement ensures remediation or cleanup of a waste site or facility, including Superfund sites.

April 24, 2009 - One of The World's Largest Makers of Cast Iron Pipes and Four Company Officials Sentenced to a Total of 147 Months Incarceration and $8 million in Fines for Flagrant Abuses of Environmental and Worker Safety Laws.

Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company Yard

Atlantic States Cast Iron Pipe Company (“Atlantic States”), a division of McWane Industries was sentenced to pay an $8 million fine, serve 48 months "monitored" probation and pay a Special Assessment of $12,000.00.

Plant manager, John Prisque was sentenced to 70 months in prison and a Special Assessment of $525.00.

Maintenance supervisor, Jeffrey Maury was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

Finishing supervisor, Craig Davidson was sentenced to 6 months in prison and a Special Assessment of $575.00.

Former human resource manager, Scott Faubert was sentenced to 41 months in prison and a Special Assessment of $400.00.

The trial beginning in September 2005 is the longest federal trial (defined in length, from jury selection to verdict) in environmental crimes history.

This is the fourth in a series of cases against McWane: three other McWane divisions (Pacific States Cast Iron Pipe Company in Provo, UT; McWane Union Foundry in Anniston, AL; and Tyler Pipe Company in Tyler, TX), along with individual defendants, have been convicted following trials, or pled guilty, for committing environmental crimes. The investigation of a fifth McWane division, McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company, is ongoing.

For more information

McWane Fact Sheet (3 pp, 58K About PDF)

Press Release (04/27/09)

 

• Oil Company and Two Executives Plead Guilty to Environmental Crimes (PDF) (2 pp, 37K About PDF) - Apr. 16
• Oregon Corporation Sentenced for Clean Water Act Violation (PDF) (2 pp, 37K About PDF) - Apr. 13
• Local Emissions Inspector sentenced on Clean Air Act Violations (PDF) (2 pp, 729K About PDF) - Mar. 31
• Public Works Director for Harlem, Georgia pleads guilty to Clean Water Act violations (PDF) (2 pp, 54K About PDF) - Mar. 31

Investigations
The EPA investigates allegations of criminal wrongdoing prohibited by various environmental statutes.
EPA Fugitives | Special Agents | Remembering Our Fallen Agents | Signs of Environmental Violations | What is an Environmental Crime? | More...

Homeland Security
Interagency coordination mechanism and management structure to be employed by federal agencies in response to domestic and international terrorism.
Crisis Management | Consequence Management | Counter Terrorism | More...

Intergovernmental Partnerships
Alliances of regulatory and law enforcement organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada that promote the effective enforcement.
Environmental Crimes Task Force | National Environmental Crime Prevention Week | More...

Top of page