South Seattle business allegedly dumped toxic waste in Puget Sound
Dec 19, 2019, 5:24 AM | Updated: 6:06 am
In this Feb. 23, 2018, file photo, a ship carrying four of the West Coast's largest container cranes passes through Puget Sound in view of Seattle and headed to Tacoma, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
A South Seattle business is being accused of using a secret pump and drain to illegally shoot toxic waste into Puget Sound.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office tells KIRO Radio that after being fined for illegal discharges, Seattle Barrel Company started sending written monthly notices that it was not sending any industrial wastewater into the sewer. After secret water tests came up dirty, investigators searched the business and discovered a portable pump and hidden drain leading directly to the sewer system, with toxic waste pumping out and no water treatment in between.
“This is a very serious violation from my perspective, for the fact that it went on as long as it did, the fact that there were falsified records, a hidden drain,” Emily Langley, U.S. Attorney Communications Director told KIRO Radio. “Both federal law enforcement and King County authorities were involved in placing surveillance devices so that they could determine what was going through the pipe.”
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“Evidence that was obtained indicates that it was highly caustic material that can damage the sewer system and ultimately potentially harm Puget Sound,” she added.
Seattle Barrel Company owner, John Sanft, is refusing to talk to us about the allegation. His company uses toxic chemicals to recondition industrial barrels and drums.
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A federal grand jury has ordered Sanft and a relative, who is also the plant manager, to appear in court next month. If found guilty, the operators of Seattle Barrel Company could get five years in prison.
