A Hanover Township, Pa., mobile carwashing company and its owner face 28 pollution-related charges for allegedly discharging wastewater into a storm drain that empties into the Lehigh River, according to a report by The Express-Times. Gary Huntington, owner of Hotwash Inc., is accused of illegally dumping the effluent 14 times between Feb. 6, 2006 and Jan. 4, 2009.
The attorney general’s office also contends Huntington charged the U.S. Postal Service a $1 wastewater disposal charge per vehicle on a fleet account and collected $1,600 under false pretenses. Hotwash’s contract called for vehicle cleaning to be conducted on-site at two postal locations, and wastewater was supposed to be collected and transported to a treatment facility.
Huntington has denied any wrongdoing, telling the newspaper, “We are innocent. We wash cars.”
Huntington and Hotwash face 14 counts of illegal dumping and 14 counts of violating Pennsylvania’s Clean Streams Act, as well as two counts of theft by deception and a charge of fraudulent business practices, the newspaper reported.
If found guilty on all charges, the carwash owner faces up to 13 years in prison and $27,500 in fines.
Source:
The Express-Times: Carwash company accused of bilking U.S. Postal Service in Bethlehem area, discharging wastewater into the Lehigh River
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