A former federal contractor who directed the Environmental Services and Public Works Division at Georgia's Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany has been convicted of lying to feds. Brian J. Wallace, 59, from Leesburg, Georgia, was smacked with a guilty verdict for making false statements during an investigation of Clean Water Act violations, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Wallace was hauled before the court and found guilty Feb. 28, after a three-day jury trial that began on Feb. 26. He now faces a grim future with a possible five years in the slammer and a quarter of a million-dollar fine, with a sentencing date still pending. In an earlier development, Horizon Environmental Services, LLC, admitted guilt to reckless conduct and was slapped with a fine, probation, and community hours, following a plea deal inked last May.
In the heart of the case is the alleged illegal pumping of approximately 30,000 gallons of wastewater into Albany's sewer system. "Thankfully no hazardous waste made its way into the Flint River—a stunning ecosystem central to Southwest Georgia life—as a result of this gross deviation from the standard of care required by all industries disposing waste into our shared environment," U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary pointed out. This incident might have spelled disaster for the local ecosystem had nature taken a turn for the worse.
Worse still, had the heavens opened up with a storm before the City of Albany could treat the wastewater—an overflow would have spilled directly into the local Flint River. It's this kind of reckless environmental gamble that's landed Wallace in hot water. As it was proven in court, he indeed knew about the clandestine wastewater dumping and fed EPA investigators nothing but lies.
The local ecosystem dodged a bullet, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division (EPA CID) spearheaded the probe that brought Wallace's deceptions to light. It's thanks to their work that environmental justice has been served, and a firm message has been sent to any who might follow Wallace's path. As EPA-CID Acting Special Agent in Charge Kristopher Martel said, "This guilty verdict demonstrates the agency’s commitment to protect communities and their water resources and to hold those who materially falsify information accountable for their actions."
