Enforcement
Criminal Enforcement
For more information about investigating environmental crimes.
HEADLINES
September 12 - Manhattan Man Sentenced In Federal Court For Selling And Distributing Illegal Pesticides
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that CHENG YAN HUANG, the owner of a store in the Chinatown section of Manhattan, was sentenced in Manhattan federal court to time served for distributing and selling at least 2,010 packages of unregistered and unauthorized pesticides. He was also ordered to pay $1,200 toward the cost of disposal of the unregistered and unauthorized pesticides he sold and that were seized from his store. Read more in the press release.
September 10 - Environmental Testing Lab and Owner Sentenced for Falsifying Test Results
PHILADELPHIA - Blue Marsh Laboratories, Inc., located in Douglassville, PA, and its president, laboratory director, and owner Michael J. McKenna, 54, of Kutztown, PA, were sentenced today for a conspiracy that resulted in the false reporting of pollution test results and reporting a fake result in testing imported fruit for potential contamination. McKenna was sentenced to nine months in prison; Blue Marsh Labs was sentenced to five years probation; both defendants were ordered to share the cost of restitution in the amount of $14,114.50. Read more in the press release.
September 10 - Contractor Who Falsified Lead Inspection Reports is Sentenced
David B. Fein, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN C. SCHEERER, of Thomaston, was sentenced by United States District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven to two years of probation, the first six months of which SCHEERER must spend in home confinement, for falsifying lead inspection reports in connection with home improvement projects funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. SCHEERER also was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and $11,160 in restitution. Read more in the press release.
September 7 - Scotts Miracle-Gro Will Pay $12.5 Million in Criminal Fines and Civil Penalties for Violations of Federal Pesticide Laws
WASHINGTON – The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, a producer of pesticides for commercial and consumer lawn and garden uses, was sentenced today in federal district court in Columbus, Ohio, to pay a $4 million fine and perform community service for eleven criminal violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), which governs the manufacture, distribution, and sale of pesticides. Read more in the press release.
Environmental Crimes Case Bulletin - August 2012
August 2012 Environmental Crimes Case Bulletin is now available (PDF) (19 pp, 4MB)
This bulletin summarizes publicized investigative activity and adjudicated cases conducted by OCEFT Criminal Investigation Division special agents, forensic specialists, and legal support staff.
Case Activities
Criminal Press
Releases
List of press releases announcing the results of EPA criminal cases adjudicated in U.S. Federal Courts.
Summary of Criminal Prosecutions
The Summary of Criminal Prosecutions provides information on major case elements for concluded environmental crime cases dating back to 1983.
The official case documents are on file at their respective U.S. District Court.
2011 Interactive map of concluded enforcement cases
EPA's criminal enforcement program has more than 350 specially trained investigators, chemists, engineers, technicians, lawyers, and support staff. The Criminal Enforcement Overview provides more basic information about EPA's criminal program.
Blue Marsh Laboratories, Inc., located in Douglassville, Pennsylvania.
Michael J. McKenna is the president, laboratory director, and owner of Blue Marsh.
An office inside the Blue Marsh Lab.
Blue Marsh and McKenna, primary business was the analytical testing of environmental samples of water and wastewater.
Environmental test reports prepared and mailed to customers falsely stated that proper EPA methods were followed when they weren't.
The defendants prepared and mailed false and fraudulent test results for Hurricane Katrina flood water samples.
They also submitted false test reports to the Food and Drug Administration.
Blue Marsh laboratory testing area.
Computer equipment used by Blue Marsh to conduct and report sampling results.
Inside the Blue Marsh Laboratory.
Collection area within the Blue Marsh Laboratory.
EPA collects samples from a work station in the laboratory.
Investigating Environmental Crimes
Criminal statutes
- Criminal v. Civil Enforcement - How Do Criminal and Civil Enforcement Differ?
- Find out how the criminal provisions in our environmental laws protect you and your environment.
Criminal enforcement publications and policy
- Monthly Environmental Crimes Case Bulletins
- Criminal Enforcement Alerts
- Policies and Guidance Documents
- Publications
Forensics
- Laboratory Forensics (NEIC) - The National Enforcement Investigations Center (NEIC) has a unique role in supporting complex criminal and civil enforcement investigations and conduting applied research and development to maintain sufficient scientific tools and applications for the enforcement programs.
- Computer Forensics - The EPA Criminal Enforcement Programs National Computer Forensics Laboratory (NCFL) provides forensics support, internet investigative support, and technical investigative equipment support.
- Field Operations Program EPA's highly-trained team of Special Agents and law enforcement specialists use specialized equipment to collect forensic evidence and conduct environmental sampling at environmental crime scenes involving chemical, biological, or radiological hazards and ensure on-site health and safety.
Partnerships
- Strong partnerships with many other federal, state, tribal and international law enforcement agencies support the enforcement of environmental criminal statutes as well as ancillary statutes. More on some of the intergovernmental partnerships criminal enforcement has fostered.