Man Gets 6 Months in Toxic Dumping Case
The former president of a toxic-waste treatment firm was sentenced this week to six months in prison for illegally transporting 400 drums of hazardous waste and dumping them at a defunct mill in a small Nevada town.
U.S. District Judge David V. Kenyon imposed the sentence and a $28,000 fine on Michael Robert Speach, who was convicted Sept. 26 of 15 environmental crimes stemming from the dumping of the 55-gallon drums in 1986 and 1987.
Prosecutors had sought a two-year prison term, partially as a deterrent against toxic-waste dumping.
At the time of the crimes, Speach was president ENV Inc. of Rancho Dominguez. The company treated electroplating waste for disposal.
One of the materials in the sludge was chromium, which can cause kidney problems. Cadmium and other suspected carcinogens also were found at the site.
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