Tioga County Man Pleads Guilty To Environmental Crime

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – On May 12, 2015, BRIAN DAVIS (46), of Owego, New York, pled guilty to one felony count of treating, storing, and disposing of hazardous waste without a permit, in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, announces United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Vernesa D. Jones-Allen, Special Agent in Charge, New York Area Office, Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA").

In June 2013, DAVIS, the owner of Large Car LLC, a company in Owego that installs and removes old industrial plating equipment for re-use or recycling, agreed to remove various hazardous chemicals, including arsenic, chromium, lead, and selenium, from a bankrupt waste generator facility in New Hampshire. DAVIS did not have a permit or environmental license to remove these chemicals, but he nevertheless transported them to the Large Car LLC facility in Owego, where he treated, stored, and disposed of them over the course of nearly a year. Specifically, DAVIS stored the hazardous waste without labeling it, properly isolating incompatible materials, or protecting it from the elements. DAVIS also treated and disposed of much of this waste by igniting and evaporating it, mixing it with other materials, and shipping it offsite without manifesting it.

DAVIS, who will be sentenced in Binghamton on September 25, 2015, by Senior United States District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy, faces up to 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $15 million. DAVIS will also be responsible to pay any charges associated with the cleanup and removal of the remaining hazardous waste material.

This case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division and by criminal investigators with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael F. Perry.

For additional information, please contact Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney John G. Duncan at 315-448-0672.