Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Ypsilanti Landlord Convicted Of Polluting Huron River

David Kircher was sentenced to five years in prison and a $1 million penalty for polluting the Huron River.

Kircher was found guilty on two counts of discharging raw sewage after a seven-day trial. The investigation by the Southeast Michigan Environmental Crimes Task Force determined that Kircher, owner of Eastern Highlands Apartments, instructed his employees to pump 25,000 to 100,000 gallons of untreated sewage from a sewer line into a storm drain that discharges into the Huron River. During the trial, witnesses testified that raw sewage had backed up in their apartments for several days. At least two incidents were found where children became very sick after drinking the contaminated water. Witnesses also stated they had told Kircher that pumping sewage into a storm drain was illegal, and Dr. Joan Rose, a microbiologist, testified that bacteria, viruses, and parasites are present 100% of the time in untreated sewage and can cause severe health issues.

photo from Wikipedia

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