Top brass at a San Diego-area company have found themselves slapped with a barrage of felony charges stemming from an alleged statewide hazardous waste scheme that had them pawning off contaminated fuel to unwitting gas stations, say court docs from the Superior Court of California in San Diego County. Lamb Fuels, Inc.'s CEO Gregory Lamb, VP Kezin Parabia, and General Manager Jeffrey Lisowski—the trio at the center of the scandal—are accused of conspiracy and illegal treatment and transportation of hazardous waste.
According to NBC 7 San Diego, these guys have pleaded not guilty but the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) begs to differ. Over a decade, the allegations tell of a sophisticated operation where fuel from scrapyard clunkers was treated and then quickly sold off to stations from San Diego to Sacramento. "Our team has done a lot of hard work over the last few years to investigate this case," said Katie Butler, deputy director of DTSC's Hazardous Waste Management Program, detailing a plot resulting in profits off unregulated and unchecked waste fuel wreaking havoc on both vehicles and air quality.
Highlighting the implications for communities that have been historically on the short end of the stick regarding environmental justice, a press release from DTSC notes that the gas stations served by Lamb Fuels were often in areas already heavily afflicted by pollution. The Lamb Fuels' heads allegedly directed a fleet of trucks to haul this low-grade fuel across California, without permits, straight into the tanks of everyday people's cars.
Attorney General Rob Bonta chimed in on the case's gravity, adding, "California is a beautiful state to live in, and we want to keep it that way," "Environmental crimes hurt affected communities, and this is why we have strong regulations in place to protect the environmental integrity of our great state and its residents," Bonta said. It's imperative, he emphasized, to actively hold accountable those who dare to compromise public health with such hazardous gambits.
The accused suited up for an initial court appearance on January 26 and were instructed to self-surrender by the end of February. Gregory Lamb also had to relinquish his passport. A preliminary hearing is marked for May 7.
