Hood River Juice owner and company pleaded guilty to a total of 5 counts.
Hood River County District Attorney John Sewell and Attorney General John Kroger today announced guilty pleas that successfully resolved a criminal pollution case.
“Protecting the environment is a top priority of the Department of Justice,” said Deputy Attorney General Mary Williams, “and we are happy that our new Environmental Crimes Unit has successfully prosecuted this case.”
David Ryan, owner of Hood River Juice Co., pleaded guilty late Wednesday to Supplying False Information to an Agency and Water Pollution in the Second Degree, both misdemeanors. Hood River Juice pleaded guilty to Supplying False Information to an Agency and two counts of Water Pollution in the Second Degree.
A plea agreement requires Ryan to serve three years probation and serve 48 hours in jail or perform 80 hours of community service. Hood River Juice must hire a certified operator approved by the Department of Environmental Quality to monitor operations and conduct weekly inspections of the company’s wastewater disposal system. Both defendants must pay a total of $12,500 to the Western States Project, a multi-agency organization that provides training on enforcement techniques, strategies and methodologies to enforcement agencies in the western United States.
The defendants must cease operations at the current Hood River Juice facility by Dec. 15 and move to a new location that is adequately equipped to handle wastewater disposal.
“This is a good resolution for us,” said Hood River Deputy District Attorney Kate Stebbins, who prosecuted the case with the assistance of Senior Assistant Attorney General Patrick A. Flanagan, head of the Department of Justice Environmental Crimes Unit, and Senior Assistant Attorney General Karen Moynahan. “It holds Mr. Ryan and Hood River Juice responsible for their actions and sets up safeguards for future protection of public resources. At the same time, it will allow the business to operate down at the Port, which is set up for industrial use.”
The prosecution was the result of a joint investigation by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon State Police.
Attorney General John Kroger leads the Oregon Department of Justice. The Department’s mission is to fight crime and fraud, protect the environment, improve child welfare, and defend the rights of all Oregonians.
Contact:
Tony Green, (503) 378-6002 tony.green@doj.state.or.us