As reported in The Fountain Hills Times
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FH Sanitary District employees photographed two tank trucks leaving the area where they allegedly dumped chemical waste in the town’s sewer system.
The owner of Green Arrow Environmental Services has quickly agreed to a settlement of a criminal complaint against him and his company filed by the Fountain Hills Sanitary District.
On Wednesday, Aug. 7, Peter W. Marquardt was in court and pleaded guilty to the charges of criminal polluting and criminal damage to a public utility. He will serve three years of probation and upon successful completion of that, a six-month jail sentence will be suspended. Marquardt will also be paying fines and fees totaling $18,000. The company will keep its license to operate.
There is a fine of $4,664.90 on the charge of criminal polluting; $5,000 on the charge of criminal damage to a public utility; and $8,335.93 in restitution to the Sanitary District to cover its costs of clean-up and repairs.
As part of the agreement charges against three of Marquardt’s employees were dismissed or dropped. The agreement also outlines strict steps for the company to comply with regulations and avoid illegal dumping in the future. Also, Green Arrow must provide the Sanitary District one day advanced notice of any collections it plans to make within Fountain Hills.
In July the Fountain Hills Town Prosecutor filed a criminal complaint against Green Arrow for illegally dumping industrial chemical waste into the Fountain Hills Sanitary District waste collection system.
In July 2018 Sanitary District employees, on the alert for illegal dumping due to previous contamination of the system, noticed a strong chemical waste running through a pumping station.
The employees went off in the direction of the flow and found two tank trucks belonging to Green Arrow in the act of just closing up a sanitary manhole. The Green Arrow employees fled before the sanitary workers made contact with them, but their trucks were identified.
An investigation by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and an EPA special agent led to the charges against Green Arrow Environmental Services, the owner Marquardt and three employees.
Sanitary District Manager Dana Trompke told the district board of directors at a special meeting on Aug. 7 that she is pleased with the settlement.
“We want to send a sharp message that we will not tolerate (illegal dumping in our system),” Trompke said.
Read the Press Release (PDF) from the office of the Fountain Hills Town Prosecutor:
