|
  
|
| 
1/7/2026
WT Staff
 Do you have knowledge of an environmental crime? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email info@wtla.us
Wednesday Jan 7, 2026, 219 pm CST
CWA CrimeBox
Environmental Crimes Historic Conviction: Fiscal Year 2012; Case ID# CR_2307 (Mississippi)
National Wildlife Refuge impacted by industrial waste dumping in Mississippi
One of 867 Criminal Prosecutions under the Clean Water Act in USA (from 1989-2024)
The defendant in this case operates a manufacturing facility in Mississippi. The corporation was charged in 2012 with a single count, felony violation of the Clean Water Act for discharging pollutants into US waters without a permit.
The defendant blends fine sawdust (wood flour) with rice hulls and mineral oil, packaging an absorbent product for containing spills. In the course of production, wood flour and rice hulls unsuitable for the final product are rejected from the facility. The waste materials were stockpiled on the defendant's property, bordering Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge and Steele Bayou.
Yazoo National Wildlife Refuge in the Western Mississippi Delta is a critical wintering habitat for migrating ducks and geese, along with other migratory birds. Nearly 13,000 acres of land bordering the Mississippi River is watered and drained by an extensive network of tributaries, including Steele Bayou, an impaired waterway with Total Maximum Daily Loads established to limit Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Siltation, DDT, and Toxaphene.
Federal District Court in Western Mississippi received a bill of information demonstrating the defendant moved waste materials into the wildlife refuge, contaminating Steele Bayou. The defendant plead guilty, sentencing included a year of probation and a federal fine. The defendant was further required to remove the contaminants from the wildlife refuge and implement a Best Management Practices Plan.
Federal Fine: $12,000; Special Assessment: $125; Probation: 12 months
See last week's CrimeBox, "Employee of the County Drinking Water Association fails to test water samples, jeopardizing health for thousands of residents in Mississippi", here.
CWA CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.
|
|
|
|
All rights reserved 2025 - WTLA - This material may not be reproduced in whole or in part and may not be distributed,
publicly performed, proxy cached or otherwise used, except with express permission.
|
| 