Larkin Baggett, 54, formerly of Salt Lake City, Utah, was sentenced to 20 years in the US District Court in Florida yesterday (October 14).

Baggett, plead guilty, after being captured, of dumping various pollutants onto the ground and into a drain leading to the treatment plant operated by the South Davis Sewer Improvement District in West Bountiful, Utah between October 2004 and April 2005.

However, he fled before being a court hearing and collected extra charge of illegally possessing firearms and aggravated assault on law enforcement officers,

US Environmental Protection Agency’s assistant administrator of enforcement, Cynthia Giles, said: “Our professional and dedicated law enforcement special agents are the ‘line in the sand’ against those who put illegal gain ahead of public health and the environment.

“We’ll continue to vigorously pursue criminal violations of environmental regulations.”

According to court records, Baggett instructed his employees to dispose of industrial wastes by dumping them onto the ground and into a sanitary sewer drain, which fed directly to the wastewater treatment plant.

One of the wastes, nonylphenol, is a powerful organic chemical and heavy-duty industrial cleaner that is toxic to aquatic life.

Baggett’s actions allegedly caused the plant to violate permit limits for acute toxicity 22 times.

Luke Walsh

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