Santa Monica : Firm Fined for Dumping

Puroflow Corp. last week entered a plea of no contest to charges of illegally pouring acid wastes down a sewer drain in March, 1989, City Atty. Robert M. Myers announced.

Santa Monica Municipal Court Judge Rex Minter imposed a fine, penalties and restitution totaling $67,000 and placed the company on three years’ probation.

Myers said the case reaffirms the importance of handling hazardous waste properly to protect ground water and public health. “Violators will be aggressively prosecuted,” he said.

Puroflow, at 1631 10th Street, manufactures water and fuel filters and valves for domestic, commercial and aerospace applications.

City officials discovered the illegal dumping after installing monitoring devices in the sewer main next to Puroflow and in Puroflow’s feeder lines. The devices detected acidic discharges in violation of the state Hazardous Waste Control Act, they said.