U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson | U.S. Department of Justice
A Nevada man has been sentenced for illegal waste disposal into a city's wastewater system and providing false information to investigators. Matthew Thurman, the general manager of Environmental Resources Inc., operating as Easy Rooter Plumbing (ERP), received a two-year prison sentence. Additionally, he was fined $680,000 and will serve one year of supervised release for violating pretreatment standards under the Clean Water Act. ERP was also sentenced to three years of probation and fined $680,000.
For several years, Thurman and ERP were involved in illegally discharging grease waste and wastewater from food-service businesses into the treatment systems of Reno and Sparks, Nevada. Despite warnings from local regulators, the illegal activities continued until the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiated an investigation. During this process, Thurman misled federal agents by blaming competitors for the violations. His actions compromised the integrity of the wastewater treatment system, leading to environmental risks and increased maintenance costs.
"This case underscores the importance of holding individuals and corporations accountable when they knowingly harm our environment and attempt to obstruct justice," stated Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim from the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division. He emphasized that "violations of the Clean Water Act are serious crimes."
Assistant Administrator David M. Uhlmann from EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance commented on the sentencing: "The defendant defrauded clients, exposed Nevada communities to contaminated sewage, and engaged in conduct that required taxpayer dollars to be spent on costly repairs."
U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada remarked on how such actions jeopardized citizens' quality of life: "Nevadans depend on our clean water system for everyday life... We will continue to prosecute these crimes."
The case was a collaborative effort among local, state, and federal agencies aimed at safeguarding America's water systems. The EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division led with support from Reno's Utility Services Department-Environmental Control and Sparks’ Environmental Control Section.
Prosecutors included Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Evans for Minnesota (formerly with Environment Crimes Section) alongside Assistant U.S Attorney Andrew Keenan for Nevada.
