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PHILADELPHIA
— Two Bristol Township Wastewater Treatment Plant employees have
been charged with violating environmental laws after discharging
thousands of gallons of untreated sewage and sludge into the
Delaware River, according to a March 9 U.S. Department of Justice
press release.
Steven McClain, plant superintendent, and Ronald Meinzer, plant
operator, are also accused of allowing monitoring devices, such as
alarms on chlorine tanks and a digester at the plant, to remain
disconnected and inoperable, the release said.
Other charges against the pair include knowingly causing effluent
samples to be tampered with by causing chlorine bleach to be added
to the samples before they were sent to a laboratory for testing of
fecal colifrom levels, the release said.
McClain is also alleged to have falsified monthly discharge
monitoring reports because the fecal coliform results reported were
not a true sample of the effluent levels due to tampering, the
release said.
If convicted, each defendant faces a possible maximum sentence of
five years in prison and a fine of no less than $5,000 to $50,000
per day of violation, the release said.
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