PRESS RELEASE

DEQ-CID and LDWF partner to combat illegal dumping
Dept. of Environmental Quality and Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries News Update
BATON ROUGE, La. (September 16, 2008) - The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, working in conjunction with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, charged two men in Livingston Parish for illegal dumping violations on August 29.

Terry D. O'Neal, 64, from Killian; and Milton L. Demars, 57, from Springfield, were charged for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to commit illegal dumping.

Demars, owner of the Prop Stop Bar, was given permission by O’Neal to dispose of styrofoam plates, a refrigerator, vacuum cleaner, cups, a mattress and other assorted waste materials into an excavated pit on O’Neal’s property in Killian.

DEQ was alerted to the dump site and subsequently conducted an inspection and investigation with LDWF agents at the premises. Enforcement agents from both agencies declared at that time that the excavated pit was an illegal disposal site.

The penalties for conspiracy to commit illegal dumping carry fines up to $25,000, which may be assessed for each day the violation continues, plus costs of prosecution and/or imprisonment for up to one year, or both.

“Illegal dumping is a problem, not only in Louisiana, but nationwide,” said Robert Williamson, Director of DEQ’s Criminal Investigation Division. “By working together with Wildlife and Fisheries and others, we will be able to catch and punish those who illegally dump more often. In the wake of the two recent hurricanes that hit Louisiana, there could be more people with a motive to illegally dump. We plan to continue to work with our partners to deter them.”

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