Fox 28: South Bend, Elkhart IN News, Weather, SportsMadison faces potential fine over sewage spill
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Associated Press - November 4, 2009 3:54 PM ET
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The former superintendent of Madison's sewage treatment plant could face up to a year in prison and a $100,000 fine after he was accused of negligently polluting the Ohio River.
The U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday charged David W. Hawkins and the city with violating the Clean Water Act.
The Justice Department says Hawkins didn't follow advice from environmental officials in 2007 to "reseed" the plant with live organisms to treat waste. As a result, untreated sewage entered the river.
Attorney Jennifer Culotta says her client, the city, formed a task force to clean up the plant and negotiated the charge down to a misdemeanor. The city could face five years' probation and a $150,000 fine.
Hawkins' attorney didn't return a phone call seeking comment.
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