Jan. 3, 2001—A wastewater division superintendent in Alaska has been indicted after investigators discovered tampering with effluent samples.
Andrew Bronson, the Superintendent of Wastewater Utility Division in Juneau, Alaska, was indicted Dec. 12 for allegedly tampering with effluent samples from the Mendenhall Wastewater Treatment Facility in 1998.
As a result, inaccurate levels were allegedly reported on facility Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) that were submitted to EPA as required by the Clean Water Act.
The facility had an extensive history of wastewater permit violations in 1997 and 1998. Tampering with DMRs can cause sewage treatment plants to discharge excessive levels of bacteria, pathogens and solids which can be harmful to fish and other aquatic life.
If convicted, Bronson faces a maximum of up to two years imprisonment and/or a fine of not more than $10,000. The case was investigated by EPA's Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Alaska.
