Auto shop owner and employees face severe penalties for alleged dangerous acts: 'Explosive liquid'

An Illinois auto shop owner and his three employees are facing federal charges after allegedly violating the Clean Water Act.

As reported by local outlet WMBD News, the owner of All Around Auto and Tire in Pekin, Illinois, was indicted by a federal grand jury in mid-July for allegedly dumping gas from junk cars into the city sewer system. Three employees were also included in the 16-count indictment.

Authorities say the auto shop workers conspired to violate the federal Clean Water Act in an illegal dumping operation. The majority of the charges stem from pouring gasoline into the sewer system between February and March 2021. If convicted on all charges, the owner and employees could each face up to five years in prison, the local station reported in July.

The owner and his employees are accused of dumping the gas without pretreating it, which could "create a fire or explosion" inside the water treatment plant. The city of Pekin also has an ordinance in place that prohibits the discharge of "gasoline, benzene, fuel oil or other flammable or explosive liquid, solid or gas into the sewer system."

As noted by the Environmental Protection Agency, industries are required to pretreat pollutants in their waste in order to "protect local sanitary sewers and wastewater treatment plants."

According to water enforcement procedures under the Clean Water Act, substances such as metals, oil, and grease, as well as other pollutants, can interfere with the operation of local sewers and treatment plants.

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This can lead to untreated or inadequately treated pollutants making their way into local waterways, potentially resulting in a number of harmful effects. These might include the destruction of fragile ecosystems and threats to human health as well as economic impacts. For example, a decline in local marine life can harm fishing industries.

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