Manager of US lab faces steep penalties after committing foul-smelling crime: 'That looks nasty'

The manager of a cosmetics lab in Texas is facing serious charges for illegally dumping a defective batch of a coconut oil product in a nearby bayou.

The National Enquirer reported that Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen was alerted to the crime by a concerned member of the public. The resident called to complain about a foul smell coming from the Houston-area bayou. After an investigation, Rosen's team traced the substance back to Immacule Lab Corporation, and the lab's manager admitted to dumping a bad batch of product.

Rosen's office explained the harmful impact of the crime on the environment and shared an image of the defective product, saying: "That looks nasty. We must protect our bayous."

If convicted, the manager faces a fine of up to $10,000 and a maximum prison sentence of 10 years.

Unfortunately, the environment often pays the price of businesses taking shortcuts when it comes to the proper disposal of hazardous materials. A moment of carelessness leads to years of managing the consequences. It's one of the reasons why it's important to push workplaces to take their environmental responsibilities seriously. Equally, as consumers, we are all responsible for being wary of greenwashing by companies and for considering carefully with whom we lend our support.

The comments on a social media post from Rosen's office expressed universal outrage, with some wondering if the potential punishments go far enough.

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"How much does it cost to clean something like this up? I certainly hope there's more cost for the guilty party then [sic] the maximum 10k fine," one said.

Another commenter added: "Maximum prison time and fine! We do not have to tolerate this!"

One comment congratulated the department for the "outstanding job" in the investigation and pointed out the importance of protecting waterways: "Environmental Crimes are serious crimes. Our waterways are life. Without them, we are all in peril."

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