Dennis Eugene West of Moncks Corner, South Carolina, was ordered on April 29 to pay $266,444.86 in restitution for the negligent discharge of pollutants into United States waters after a tractor trailer crash on the West Virginia Turnpike in August 2022. West was also sentenced to three years of federal probation and fined $5,000.
Court documents show that West crashed his truck while crossing Skitter Creek Bridge in Fayette County. The accident ruptured several containers holding alkyl dimethylamine, which spilled onto the bridge and into Paint Creek—a tributary of the Kanawha River—causing harm to aquatic life and shutting down a section of the turnpike for more than twelve hours.
West admitted he was driving under the influence at the time of the incident with a blood alcohol content above legal limits for commercial drivers. He also did not have a permit under the Clean Water Act to discharge pollutants into state waters. His trucking business, Gadsden, Gaillard and West LLC, pleaded guilty as well; its insurance has already paid over $900,000 toward cleanup and related costs.
United States Attorney Moore Capito said: "The defendant chose to transport a hazardous chemical while intoxicated, and that reckless decision didn’t just break the law — it put lives at risk and scarred this community’s environment. What followed, however, was a remarkable show of professionalism and resolve. I want to recognize the investigators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, and the West Virginia State Police, whose work ensured accountability in this case. Equally important are the first responders — men and women who ran toward danger, not away from it — who secured the scene, protected the public, and worked tirelessly... Their commitment deserves not just our thanks but our respect.”
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia improves communities and upholds justice through enforcement of federal laws according to its official website. The office operates under the United States Department of Justice according to its official website, covers 23 counties in southern West Virginia according to its official website, employs 37 attorneys along with 40 other personnel according to its official website, prosecutes federal crimes as well as civil cases on behalf of citizens' quality of life according to its official website, offers prosecution services for federal offenses along with representation in civil litigation according to its official website, collects government debts across southern counties while protecting public interests according to its official website.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed sentence; Assistant United States Attorney Erik S. Goes and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Lastra prosecuted with assistance from Financial Litigation Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Combs.
