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9/30/2026
WT Staff
 Knowledge of an environmental crime? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email info@wtla.us
Sep 30 2026 1015 am CDT
CrimeBox
Historic Conviction Fiscal Year 2012; Case ID# CR_2240 (Louisiana)
Corrosive chemicals washed into the Mississippi River. A bulk storage facility was convicted of the environmental crime.
Facilities operating in our backyards have a responsibility to follow the nation's environmental laws, which are designed to protect our rivers and public health. The solid waste in this case is extremely corrosive. The defendant knowingly stored it in an inadequate manner which ultimately led to a release of a half-million gallons of toxic chemical into the Mississippi River.
- Ivan Vikin, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Enforcement Program in Louisiana
The Defendant in this case is a licensed hazardous materials handler and bulk storage facility. The Defendant was charged with a single count, misdemeanor violation of the Clean Water Act (CWA) when fluorosilicic acid (FSA) was negligently discharged from the bulk storage facility into waters of the USA.
From the Materials Safety Data Sheet, Fluorosilicic Acid (FSA) is described as "a colorless, fuming liquid with a penetrating pungent odor, corrosive to metals and tissue." Fumes and liquid can cause severe and painful burns.
FSA is used in the fluoridation of drinking water, as well as a hardener for cement and ceramics, and can be used as a wood preservative. According to JX Fluorides, FSA is a waste product recovered during the manufacture of phosphate fertilizer. When sulfuric acid reacts with phosphate rock, fluoride is released as a gas. Captured and contained in liquid form, FSA is a strong acid, highly reactive with metal. To maintain stability of the chemical, the temperature must be controlled, and it must be contained in plastic, fiberglass or rubber-lined tanks.
When the spill occurred on March 17, 2008, the Defendant was faced with a public health emergency requiring a swift response. The Defendant's staff called in to the National Response Center to report the incident and receive instruction on how to neutralize the spill. With no secondary containment option available, and dangerous gases forming, state and federal spill response authorities had no choice but to order the acid washed into the river.
The Federal District Court was presented a bill of information stating the Defendant was aware of the corrosive nature of the FSA. Previous leaks had occurred, yet the Defendant had not taken action to prevent another incident.
The Defendant admitted that the spill would not have occurred if a rubber-lined tank had been used. The Defendant plead guilty to the CWA crime. Sentencing was set at a federal fine and two years of court supervision.
Federal Fines: $200,000; Probation: 24 months
This case was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency- Criminal Investigative Division , the United States Coast Guard Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Environmental Quality-Criminal Investigative Division, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dorothy Manning Taylor.
See last week's CrimeBox here, "This oil and gas producer claimed a perfectly clean operation. An employee flagged the anomaly, resulting in a CWA conviction."
CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.
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