Utah gold, silver refiner charged with violating Clean Water Act

Singapore (Platts)--13Dec2006

A superseding indictment has been returned by a federal grand jury in
Salt Lake City, Utah, charging the parent company of gold and silver refiner
Johnson Matthey Inc. with conspiracy to violate the Clean Water Act (CWA), the
US Department of Justice said Wednesday. Johnson Matthey Inc.'s UK-based
parent Johnson Matthey PLC is a diversified multinational specialty chemicals
company which produces catalysts, precious metals and fine chemicals.
On March 22, 2006, Johnson Matthey Inc. and two senior company managers
were charged in a 29-count indictment with conspiracy, concealment by trick,
scheme and device, and violations of the CWA, the DOJ said in a statement.
Specifically, the defendants conspired to conceal the high level of pollutants
they discharged by cheating on required tests and submitting false information
about the amount of selenium released into wastewater.
The superseding indictment alleges that the parent company played a role
in conspiring to conceal the release of the contaminated wastewater into
sewers.
The conspiracy charge carries a maximum fine of $500,000 for the
corporate defendants.
Charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and defendants are
presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in federal court, the DOJ
added.