North-Central Iowa Man Pleads Guilty To Unlawfully Storing Hazardous Waste

Richard Delp, 62, from Cedar Falls, Iowa, pled guilty August 3, 2016, in federal court in Cedar Rapids, to a charge of unlawfully storing hazardous waste.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing revealed Delp, from about January 1, 2004, and continuing to on or about October 23, 2012, knowingly stored, or caused the storage of, hazardous waste by storing drums, tanks, totes, and vats containing corrosive and toxic hazardous waste at his now defunct Cedar Valley Electroplating facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa, without a permit authorizing the storage.  Delp continued to unlawfully store the hazardous waste despite being alerted to the problem in 2005 and, again, in 2010 by civil inspections conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”).  Instead of addressing the problem, he abandoned the hazardous wastes when he closed the business in September 2011.  This resulted in the public paying more than $789,138.03 in clean-up costs.    

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will be set after a presentence report is prepared.  Delp remains free on bond previously set.  Delp faces a possible maximum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment, a fine of not more than $50,000 for each day of violation, a $100 in special assessments, and up to five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency Criminal investigation Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild. 

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is CR16-2022.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.