MONTICELLO MAN SENTENCED FOR VIOLATION OF CLEAN WATER ACT
Contact: Peter Deegan
A man who negligently discharged hazardous waste into the water was sentenced March 17, 2011, to 5 years probation and 120 hours of community service.
Gene Riddle, 75, from Monticello, Iowa, received the probationary term after a guilty plea to a clean water act violation.
In a plea agreement, Riddle admitted he owned a business in Monticello, Iowa, known as Riddle, Inc. Riddle, Inc. used many chemicals in its manufacturing process. Riddle, Inc. stored these chemicals in its deteriorating building located approximately 400 feet from Kitty Creek. Riddle, Inc. and Gene Riddle did not have a permit issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or by the state of Iowa to store these chemicals. Kitty Creek flooded in 1993, 2002, and 2009. During each of these floods, Kitty Creek rose and entered Riddle Inc.’s building in which the above-described chemicals were stored. In 2009, the flood reached a height of at least three feet in the building moving drums and containers of the above-described chemicals within the building. The water from Kitty Creek flowed freely through the holes in Riddle Inc.’s building.
Riddle was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade. Riddle was sentenced to 5 years probation, 120 hours of community service, a special assessment of $25 was imposed, and he was ordered to make $273,261 in restitution to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. Cole and investigated by US Environmental Protection Agency.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 10-118.
