U.S. Attorney Announces Significant Cases From New Interagency Environmental Task Force to Protect Public Health and Safety

Press Release

Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced the creation of a new, interagency Environmental Task Force to protect public health and safety, to ensure that everyone enjoys equal protection from environmental and health hazards, and to combat criminal conspiracies that attempt to profit from pollution.

"Strong and fair enforcement of environmental and public health laws supports a thriving community for all families," stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. "Environmental and financial crimes are often linked, when individuals and businesses seek to profit by evading laws designed to protect our air, water, and land," stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. "Our Environmental Task Force brings key stakeholders together to focus on enforcement that matters the most to our community."

On March 28, 2024, U.S. Attorney Waldref and her team, working with law enforcement agencies as well as federal, state, and local partners launched the Environmental Task Force. The Task Force leverages partnerships between local, state, and federal agencies to effectively investigate and prosecute environmental crimes and cases that impact our public health and safety. The Task Force consists of agency representatives from the Washington State Attorney General's Office's Environmental Protection Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division, EPA Office of the Inspector General (OIG), EPA Region 10, Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce OIG, Housing and Urban Development (HUD) OIG, Department of Energy (DOE) OIG, Washington State Department of Ecology, U.S. Department of the Interior OIG, U.S. Forest Service, United States Park Police, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), IRS-Criminal Investigations, Spokane Clean Air Agency, the Benton Clean Air Agency, and others.

"I am grateful for the large number of federal, state, and local partners that have joined with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the critical mission of securing public health and environmental protection for all communities," continued U.S. Attorney Waldref. "Working together, we can protect our natural resources to ensure a healthy, high quality of life and make our region safe and strong."

Significant environmental protection cases filed or pending in the Eastern District of Washington include:

• In November 2024, four business owners and five companies were federally indicted for smuggling and illegally importing tens of millions of dollars in emission defeat devices from Canada into Eastern Washington. As alleged in the indictment, these illegal devices were sold and distributed to customers throughout the United States, resulting in defendants receiving more than 74 million dollars in revenue through their online sales.
• In October 2024, a Florida business owner, who created and sold illegal software designed to defeat and disable emission controls on diesel trucks, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Clean Air Act.
• In October 2024, the Department of Justice filed a complaint against a utility company to recover response costs and damages for destroying cultural resources, including archaeological features and Tribal artifacts, when replacing a power pole in the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. United States v. Avista Corporation, 2:24-cv-00358.
• In June 2024, the Department of Justice and EPA filed a lawsuit under the Safe Drinking Water Act against several Lower Yakima Valley dairies for manure practices that endanger neighboring residents who rely on private wells for drinking water. The complaint and July 2024 motion for preliminary injunction alleges the dairies failed to adequately control nitrate contamination from their operations. High levels of nitrate in drinking water can be harmful, especially for infants, pregnant women, and people with certain health conditions. The injunctive relief was sought to immediately protect downgradient community members with nitrate contaminated well water by requiring the dairies to test the wells and provide alternative drinking water.
• In May 2024, two men and their companies were indicted for a scheme to tamper with pollution control systems in violation of the Clean Air Act.
• In January 2024, the United States filed a complaint in federal district court alleging a government contractor, responsible for fire protection at the Hanford site, was involved in fraudulent overcharging and failed to complete critical fire protection work necessary to protect the public, workers at the site, and the environment from fire hazards.
• In June 2023, a business-owner was sentenced for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act in connection with improper handling and disposal of asbestos-containing material, and for lying to federal and state regulators, resulting in potential exposure to workers and the public.
• In September 2022, a Grand Jury indicted a Yakima-area juice manufacturing company and its owner for violating FDA regulations that resulted in improper levels of arsenic, patulin, and other environmental and health hazards into fruit juice sold to school lunch programs.

As part of the U.S. Attorney's Office commitment to effective and responsive environmental enforcement, U.S. Attorney Waldref frequently speaks to community leaders and members about pressing public health and safety concerns in Eastern Washington.

In February of 2024, the Office held an Environmental Justice listening session in Spokane with community leaders engaged in conservation, public health and environmental remediation work. Representatives from the Environmental Protection Network and Gonzaga University's Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment shared information about accessing funding to support environmental protection. Members of the community highlighted concerns and priority areas to ensure compliance and enforcement to protect the environment and the health and safety of our residents.

In April of 2024, the U.S. Attorney's Office, in partnership with the Washington State Attorney General's Office; Gonzaga University's Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment; and the Gonzaga Law School; celebrated the anniversary of Expo '74 by co-hosting a conference that included panels focusing on protecting the Spokane River and environmental enforcement. Tribal leaders, community advocates, and state and federal enforcement authorities, discussed how to work together more effectively to prioritize public health and safety.

"I am proud to raise my family in a place where we enjoy the great outdoors and appreciate the beauty of our mountains, trees, lakes, and rivers. Indigenous people first lived on these lands, cultivating these resources for future generations," stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. "We work closely with Tribal leaders and law enforcement to protect Tribal Homelands from harm and criminal conduct."

In June of 2024, U.S Attorney Waldref took part in the Lands Council Legislative Summit. In her remarks, U.S. Attorney Waldref spoke about the successes in environmental protection in the 50 years since Expo '74, as well as the ongoing environmental challenges facing the region and the Environmental Task Force's coordinated efforts to keep our community healthy and safe.

In August of 2024, the Environmental Task Force held a meeting in Spokane to discuss ongoing environmental protection efforts and developed plans to increase and improve collaboration to support cleaner and healthier air quality.

Since 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref has chaired the Environmental Justice & Environmental Issues Subcommittee for the Attorney General's Advisory Committee, where she provides critical insight to Department of Justice leadership on the prosecution and litigation of environmental and public health matters throughout the United States. In this role, she has been a leader in training Department of Justice attorneys to identify the nexus between financial and environmental crimes and violations and hold companies accountable who seek to profit from pollution and evade laws designed to protect vulnerable members of the community. U.S. Attorney Waldref and her team are committed to protecting and improving the public's well-being, health, and safety, now and into the future.

Community members who have environmental concerns can share with them with the U.S. Attorney's Office by emailing [email protected]. To submit a concern by telephone, please call (509) 835-6306.

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Updated November 19, 2024