United States Attorney's Office District of Connecticut
Press Release

Environmental Crimes Unit: BRIDGEPORT COMPANY AND ITS GENERAL MANAGER PLEAD GUILTY TO ILLEGAL WASTEWATER DUMPING

Kevin J. O'Connor, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALUMINUM FINISHING COMPANY, INC., of 1575 Railroad Avenue, Bridgeport, Connecticut, and its general manager, DUANE BASS, pleaded guilty today in Bridgeport federal court to violations of the federal Clean Water Act, in connection with the metal finishing operations of ALUMINUM FINISHING COMPANY, INC. in Bridgeport.

According to an Information filed today in Bridgeport federal court, ALUMINUM FINISHING COMPANY, INC. was engaged in electroplating, painting, anodizing and chromating a variety of metal products at its facility at 1575 Railroad Avenue in Bridgeport. The company discharged its process wastewater to the sanitary sewer system of the publicly owned treatment works in the City of Bridgeport (West Side), which in turn discharged treated wastewater into the Long Island Sound. DUANE BASS was the company's general manager.

The Information charges that ALUMINUM FINISHING COMPANY, INC. knowingly engaged in repeated violations of its wastewater discharge permit from October 27, 2000 to January 5, 2001. This resulted in the discharge of wastewater that exceeded the Company's wastewater discharge permit for pH, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. The Government proffered evidence at today's guilty plea hearing that the discharges resulted from the Company's practice of discharging 8,000 gallons of contaminated rinse water on Friday evenings without "pre-treating" the wastewater as required by its permit. Some of the discharges exceeded by twice to many times more than the Company's limits under its discharge permit.

The Information further charges BASS, in his capacity as general manager of the Company's operations, with negligently violating the Company's wastewater discharge permit with respect to the Company's illegal discharge of wastewater on January 5, 2001. On that date, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at the company's premises and observed the company's discharge of partially untreated wastewater. There was no known damage to the environment as a result of the discharge violations.

United States District Judge Stefan R. Underhill scheduled sentencing for the two defendants on September 16, 2004. The corporate defendant ALUMINUM FINISHING COMPANY, INC. faces a minimum $20,000 fine and up to $2 million in criminal fines and a three year term of probation with strict environmental monitoring requirements. BASS faces up to one year of imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and payment of a fine of at least $2,500 and not to exceed $100,000.

"Exposing criminal behavior that damages our environment is a priority of this Office," U.S. Attorney O'Connor stated. "Clean air and clean water should never be taken for granted, and individuals and corporations that ignore our environmental laws will be vigorously prosecuted."

Michael E. Hubbard, Special Agent in Charge, EPA Criminal Investigation Division, stated, "This case again illustrates the EPA's commitment to protecting the health of our citizens and the environment."

U.S. Attorney O'Connor noted that this case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and the City of Bridgeport's publicly owned treatment works. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Meyer and Special Assistant United States Attorney Andrew E. Lauterback are prosecuting this case.

CONTACT:

U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
Tom Carson
(203) 821-3722
thomas.carson@usdoj.gov