Oil Hauler Sentenced for Wetlands Spill

An oil hauler who spilled hazardous waste into the largest wetland refuge in Southern California, killing dozens of birds and offering a sharp reminder of the fragility of the region’s ecology, pleaded guilty Wednesday and was sentenced to 45 days in jail.

However, attorneys on both sides of the case agreed that Richard Ogle Sr., who had no criminal record, will spend his sentence on home detention.

In addition, Ogle, 63, must pay a $20,000 fine, most of which will be routed to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation agencies. He also must perform 200 hours of community service, half of it at the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County.

Ogle pleaded guilty to a felony charge of discharging a pollutant into navigable waters and to three misdemeanors: killing a migratory bird, killing a protected brown pelican and failing to oversee proper storage of hazardous waste.

He was also sentenced to five years of probation and, in a separate agreement with state environmental regulators, has forfeited his license to handle hazardous waste.

Ogle’s attorney told him not to talk to the press. A representative reached at Ogle’s Santa Ana company, Dick’s Vacuum Truck Service--which has been turned over to his son, Richard Ogle Jr.--would not comment.

On Dec. 13, 1998, Ogle Sr. went to a maintenance yard run by the city of Garden Grove. He had a contract with the city to remove debris and waste, including waste oil, at the yard, prosecutors said.

But instead of sucking out the waste and taking it to a licensed handler, Ogle dumped 200 gallons of spent oil into the yard’s storm drain, the district attorney’s office said. The waste wound its way through 13 miles of pipes and spilled into the Bolsa Chica preserve in Huntington Beach.

Investigators confirmed that more than 50 birds--including coots, grebes and ducks--died within a week of the spill.