Oregon Operations Director Gets Prison Time After Polluted Wastewater Dumped Into Hillsboro Sewer
Half a million gallons of wastewater, containing hydrofluoric acid and heavy metals including arsenic, titanium, chromium, and silver, and discharged into the Hillsboro sanitary sewer system, has resulted in a five month federal prison sentence for operations director, Kayla Hartley.
The 35-year-old Troutdale woman pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act when she sanctioned the discharge of 500,000 gallons of polluted wastewater into the Hillsboro sewer system at Northwest Slurry Solutions and Hydro Excavation facility.
She Tried to Hide the Illegal Activity From Officials
Prosecutors stated that Hartley disposed of the industrial wastewater from February to September 2020 without a permit or authorization.
They said she attempted to conceal that her company was discharging industrial waste when officials from Clean Water Services visited the site.
The wastewater emanated from a manufacturing process for titanium parts for airplane engines and contained heavy metals and hydrofluoric acid.
Hartley’s defense lawyer, Jeffrey A. Turnoy, argued that his client is not a danger to society and that she is a stay-at-home mother of a one-year-old child. She also has two stepchildren under age 12.
Hartley, who will also serve five months of house arrest when her prison term ends, was ordered to surrender to U.S. marshals on September 10 to begin serving her sentence.
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Clean Water Services following a complaint received in August 2020.