Dakota Plating and its Officers Sentenced for Illegally Discharging Wastewater

The U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota recently sentenced the Dakota Plating Inc., of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and four of its officers for violating the Clean Water Act (CWA).

Dakota Plating Inc., was fined $30,000. The Big Sioux Environmental Trust Fund will receive $7,500 of the fine, and $15,000 of the fine will be used to reimburse the City of Sioux Falls for expenses incurred during the investigation. Kenneth R. Pap, owner of the company, was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. Jeffrey McCrea, a former supervisor, will serve sevens month in jail. Anthony Sferrazza, a supervisor at the plant, and Timothy Schwaller, the plant's wastewater treatment supervisor, were each sentenced to probation.

Between 1992 and 1996 Dakota Plating discharged industrial wastewater into the City of Sioux Falls wastewater treatment system to avoid the cost of compliance with regulations. The wastewater was secretly dumped into the system through a drain hidden in the floor of the Dakota facility.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Criminal Investigation Division.