David E. Ortiz of Grand Junction, CO, was sentenced on April 28 to serve one year in prison and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine. Ortiz was previously convicted of violating the Clean Water Act by illegally discharging a de-icing chemical into the city of Grand Junction's storm sewers.
Ortiz was the operator for Chemical Specialties, a company that distills the aircraft de-icing chemical, propylene glycol. On May 29 and June 18, 2002, Ortiz discharged industrial wastewater containing propylene glycol into the storm sewer, which empties into the Colorado River, resulting in fish being killed in the river.
The case was investigated by the Denver Area Office of EPA's Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of EPA's National Enforcement Investigations Center and EPA Region 8. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Denver.
