Ohio man pleads guilty to killing 43,000 fish after dumping hazardous waste into river
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — An Ohio man pleaded guilty to killing more than 43,000 fish after dumping 7,000 gallons of hazardous waste into the Scioto River.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Ohio said in a news release that 72-year-old Mark Shepherd of Kenton, Ohio, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act on Tuesday.
The news release, citing court documents, said Shepherd "negligently" discharged approximately 7,000 gallons "of a substance containing ammonia." The waste flowed approximately 18 miles downstream from where it had been dumped near Kenton, authorities said.
The substance came from Cessna Transport Inc. and A.G. Bradley Inc., the news release said. Shepherd owns both businesses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern DIstrict of Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources found that the waste killed 43,094 fish, including black bass, flathead catfish, sunfish and minnows, the news release said.
"This type of behavior is unacceptable," U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio said in the news release. "The Scioto River is home to abundant fish and other wildlife, and it is a valuable community resource, flowing through more than 230 miles of Ohio. As the guilty plea demonstrates, anyone caught illegally discharging substances into our district's waterways that harm our environment will face prosecution."
The 72-year-old man dumped the waste in an area "routinely used" for recreational fishing, the news release said.
The Ohio man will be sentenced in August.