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11/20/2024
WT Staff
 Knowledge of an environmental crime? Give us a call at 877-52-WATER (877-529-2837), or email info@watertoday.ca
November 20, 2024 838 am PST
CWA CrimeBox
Environmental Crimes Historic Conviction: Fiscal Year 2010; Case ID# CR_2022 (California)
Hotel discharges hazardous materials forcing a federal emergency response and evacuation of City of Los Angeles Metro
One of 72 Clean Water Act Criminal Prosecutions in the State of California (from 1989-2023)
A chlorine gas leak into Los Angeles Metro overwhelmed subway riders and personnel on January 19, 2009, prompting a response from the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Coordinator. According to the FBI, approximately 100 personnel from numerous Federal, State and local emergency response agencies responded to the subway station near 7th and Figueroa. A chemical smell was evident with several victims, including a law enforcement officer overcome by the fumes. The subway was evacuated and the intersection of 6th and Flower was closed for several hours because of the chlorine gas.
Investigators from Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department tracked the chlorine leak to a downtown hotel. Employees of the hotel initially stated that a pool chlorine tank was discharged to a roof drain early that morning. Lab testing demonstrated an extreme low pH, this discharge being highly acidic. Follow up questioning of hotel employees revealed a muriatic acid tank had also been discharged. The hotel's chief engineer disclosed that the pool had been switched over to a new maintenance system rendering the chlorine and muriatic acid unneccessary; admitting that staff were directed to discharge the toxic chemicals to the public sanitary sewer in violation of the Clean Water Act. It would seem the staff instead discharged to a storm drain, also illegal, which led to chlorine gas leak in the metro.
The defendant in this case was the operating corporation for the hotel. The federal district judge in California sentenced the defendant to federal fine, community service payment and cash payment to the victims.
Federal Fine: $200,000; Community Service: $150,000; Restitution to victims: $20,284
CWA CrimeBox briefs are compiled from EPA Criminal Enforcement records.
See last week's CrimeBox here, Interpol hunt to track down environmental criminals makes successful use of EPA Fugitives website
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