FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ENRD

WEDNESDAY, MAY 17, 2006 (202) 514-2007

WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888

Sparks, Nevada-Based Company

Charged with Violating the Clean
Water Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Greg Street Plating, Inc.—an electroplating, metal plating
and finishing company based in Sparks, Nevada—was charged in a one-count
indictment with discharging highly acidic waste into the sewer system that leads to
the Truckee Meadows Sewage treatment facility, in violation of the Clean Water
Act, the Justice Department announced today.

The indictment alleges that on late Saturday night April 12, 2003 or early Sunday
morning April 13, 2003, an unknown employee of Greg Street Plating dumped
highly acidic waste into the sewer system. The acid discharge reached the sewer
treatment plant, setting off warning alarms. The operators of the treatment plant
acted quickly and efficiently to isolate and neutralize the acid waste, thereby
avoiding the possibility of substantial damage to the facility. The source of the
discharge was initially identified as Greg Street Plating by investigators from the
Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility and the Nevada Department of
Environmental Protection.

As part of the metal plating process, Greg Street allegedly generated hundreds of
gallons of rinse wastewater each week, contaminated with heavy metals and having
a pH of less than 5.0. The Environmental Protection Agency’s National
Pretreatment Standards include a prohibition against sending any wastewater with a
pH lower than 5.0 to any state or municipality-owned treatment works unless
specific accommodations are made.

The wastewater from Greg Street was supposed to be treated in a closed loop
evaporation system and none of the wastewater from the plating process was
permitted to be discharged into the sewer system. The indictment alleges that Greg
Street generated hazardous waste acid solutions with a pH of less than 5.0 and
hazardous waste plating solutions with a pH less than 5.0. Greg Street had a permit
to discharge domestic wastewater into a sewer system but was prohibited from
discharging any industrial waste, including plating wastes, into the sewer system.

This case is being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Division of United

States Environmental Protection Agency out of the San Francisco office. The case is
being prosecuted by the Environmental Crimes Section, U.S. Department of Justice
and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, Reno Division.

Charges in an indictment are merely accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent

unless and until proven guilty in federal court.

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