Environmental Crimes: CWA Criminal Prosecution Case Histories

The following summary is from one of sixty-six Clean Water Act Prosecutions in Louisiana since 1990

Fiscal Year 2011; Case ID# CR_2169

Marine towing vessel collision on the Mississippi, drinking water cut off to New Orleans

In the wee hours of a 2008 summer night, a tugboat towing a biodiesel barge collided with a 600-foot tanker ship in the Mississippi River at downtown New Orleans. The collision sent more than a quarter million gallons of fuel oil into the water, resulting in the closure of the river from mile marker 99 to the Gulf of Mexico. During the closure, drinking water supplies to Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes were cut off.

Investigators found the towing company had been operating with under licensed or unlicensed crew on a regular basis. During the night of the 2008 collision and oil spill, it was determined that an unlicensed crew member was at the helm. The owner of the towing company obstructed the investigation by ordering the deletion of payroll records.

The judge in this case found the owner of the company responsible for violation of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, and guilty of violating the Clean Water Act. The owner was sentenced to prison with a $50,000 fine; the company was sentenced to $200,000 fine. The company and owner each received two years of probation.

Incarceration: 21 months; Federal fines: $250,000; Probation: 48 months

Safe Drinking Water Act Compliance, Nov 14-20, 2022      65.5%*

(*LA drinking water facilities currently in compliance with Safe Drinking Water Act)

- 1279 total Drinking Water Facilities in the state of LA (down by 2 from last week)

• 441 with Current Violations (34.4%)
• 110 with Significant Violations (8.6%)
• 148 with Formal Enforcement Actions (in the last 5 yrs) (11.6%)
• 443,181 Louisiana residents are served by facilities with significant violations

Louisiana Drinking Water Facilities with Significant Violations

29 Palms Trailer Park, pop 25 (Washington)

Abita Petro Plus, pop 50 (St. Tammany)

Alberta Water System, pop 1860 (Bienville)

Atlantic Alumina, LLC, pop 500 (St. James)

Azalea Lane Trailer Park, pop 84 (St. Tammany)

Backwood Village Water System, pop 783 (Winn)

Beekman Water System, pop 1275 (Morehouse)

Bel-Di-Gil Water System, pop 969 (Caddo)

Belmont Waterworks Inc., pop 2805 (Sabine)

Bernice Water System, pop 2199 (Union)

Better Waterworks, pop 2160 (Ouachita)

Beverly Heights Manor, pop 100 (St. Tammany)

Bonita Water System, pop 426 (Morehouse)

Cameron Parish WW District 7, pop 1567 (Cameron)

Cameron Parish WW District 9, pop 1376 (Cameron)

Central Grant Water System, pop 2250 (Grant)

City of Many Water System, pop 4575 (Sabine)

City of Opelousas Water System, pop 20397 (St. Landry)

City of Ville Platte Water System, pop 7430 (Evangeline)

Concord Water System, pop 399 (Union)

CVD Ceramics, pop 25 (Iberia)

Domino Sugar, pop 360 (St. Bernard)

Downsville Water System, pop 216 (Union)

Eagle Lake Mobile Home Park, pop 300 (St. Tammany)

Ebarb Waterworks District 1-N Ebarb, pop 450 (Sabine)

Ebarb Waterworks District 1-N Ebarb/Belmont, pop 2250 (Sabine)

Edgefield Water System, pop 375 (Red River)

Egan Water Corporation, Egan Water Corp #2, pop 5310 (Acadia)

Elm Point Estates Water System, pop 90 (St. Martin)

Entergy Louisiana, pop 200 (Calcasieu)

Enterprise Water System, pop 570 (Catahoula)

Franklin Water Supply, pop 8500 (St. Mary)

G & J Mobile Home Estates, pop 186 (Lafayette)

Gilark Water System, pop 675 (Webster)

Holiday Mobile Home Villa Water System, pop 188 (Lafayette)

Homeland Heights, pop 234 (St. Tammany)

Insta-gator Ranch, pop 40 (St. Tammany)

Jones McGinty Water, pop 696 (Morehouse)

Keithville Mobile Villa, pop 36 (Caddo)

Kings Court Mobile Home Park, pop 220 (Lafayette)

La Maison des Chenes Water, pop 40 (Vermillion)

Lake St John Waterworks District 1, pop 1920 (Concordia)

Lakeside RV Park, pop 100 (Webster)

Leleux Trailer Park Water System, pop 150 (Iberia)

Litroe Water System, pop 369 (Union)

Marina Del Rey Water System, pop 500 (St. Tammany)

MJS Estates Water System, pop 39 (Iberia)

Mt Olive Water System, pop 645 (Bienville)

New Carroll Water System, pop 3618 (West Carroll)

New Hope St Clair Water System, pop 420 (Jackson)

New Orleans Algiers Waterworks, pop 52785 (Orleans)

Newellton Water System, pop 1100 (Tensas)

North Lake St John Water System, pop 90 (Concordia)

Oil City Waterworks, pop 2199 (Caddo)

Ozone Pine Subdivision, pop 75 (St.Tammany)

Paradise Point Water System, pop 90 (Jackson)

Pearl Plantation Townhouse, pop 60 (St. Tammany)

Pendleton Water Assoc, pop 2430 (Sabine)

Phillips 66 Lake Charles Refinery, pop 747 (Calcasieu)

Pine Trailer Park, pop 60 (Ascension)

Pleasant Hill Water System, Town of, pop 990 (Sabine)

Pleasant Hills Crossroads Water System, pop 840 (Winn)

Pointe a la Hache Water System, pop 882 (Plaquemines)

Port Sulphur Water District, pop 9222 (Plaquemines)

Powhatan Water System, pop 499 (Nantioches)

Rayville Water System, pop 4842 (Richland)

Reddell Vidrine Water District, pop 2952 (Evangeline)

River Ridge Estates Water System, pop 75 (St.Martin)

S and J RV Park, pop 87 (St. Tammany)

Salem Water System, pop 753 (Union)

Shreveport Water System, pop 201,000 (Caddo)

South Mansfield Water System, pop 1050 (DeSoto)

South Shreveport Mobile Villa, pop 75 (Caddo)

South Toledo Bend Water District, pop 5943 (Sabine)

Southgate Mobile Home Park Water System, pop 177 (Bossier)

Southwest Avoyelles Water District, pop 1053 (Avoyelles)

Spring Creek Subdivision Water System, pop 444 (Jackson)

Springfield Mobile Home Park, pop 63 (Livingston)

Springhill Community Water System, pop 183 (Bienville)

St. Martin Industrial Park Water System, pop 150 (St.Martin)

St. Tammany Recreation District 2, pop 35 (St. Tammany)

St. Tammany Water District 3, pop 2920 (St.Tammany)

Te Mamou Water District, pop 2355 (Evangeline)

Tesi Jackson Square, pop 744 (Lafayette)

Town of Baldwin Water Supply, pop 2500 (St. Mary)

Town of Cheneyville Water System, pop 1531 (Rapides)

Town of Ferriday Water System, pop 4193 (Concordia)

Town of Iota Water System, pop 1860 (Acadia)

Town of Mamou Water System, pop 3566 (Evangeline)

Town of Montgomery Water System, pop 1317 (Grant)

Town of Plain Dealing Water System, pop 2733 (Bossier)

Town of White Castle Water System, pop 2550 (Iberville)

Town of Zwolle Water System, pop 2385 (Sabine)

Uncle Dick Davis RV Park WS, pop 25 (St. Martin)

Utility Service of Lake Charles WS, pop 306 (Calcasieu)

Vermilion Waterworks District, pop 22800 (Vermilion)

Village of Calvin WS, pop 591 (Winn)

Village of Georgetown WS, pop 302 (Grant)

Village of Mermentau Water System, pop 819 (Acadia)

Village of Parks Water System, pop 12360 (St. Martin)

Village of Sicily Island Water System, pop 930 (Catahoula)

Village of Sikes Water System, pop 639

Village of Tangipahoa Water System, pop 748 (Tangipahoa)

Village of Wilson WS, pop 885 (East Feliciana)

Vixen WS, pop 774 (Caldwell)

Wards Chapel Water System, pop 1350 (Union)

West Sterlington Water, pop 960 (Union)

Youngs Community, LLC pop 135 (Lafayette)

LA Spills we are Tracking: November 14-20, 2022

• No spills reported to LA DEQ this week

Spill Emergency:

Call Louisiana State Police 1-225-925-6595 within 1 hour of the spill incident.

call LSP HAZ MAT hotline 1-877-925-6595 or 225-925-6595

*The hazardous materials hot line is staffed by the Right-to-Know Unit and is the reporting point to the LSP for a chemical spill or emergency. Any transporter, manufacturer, storage facility, or anyone involving the handling of any regulated hazardous material must contact the LSP immediately to report any spillage or threat to public safety.

National Response Center (NRC) at 1-800-424-8802

24-hour emergency line staffed by US Coast Guard for oil spills on water.