Barry Darnell White, a former production manager at American Distillation, Inc., has pleaded guilty to releasing harmful chemicals into the Cape Fear River. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office release, White admitted to discharging pollutants like tert-Butyl alcohol, a toxic and flammable compound, violating the Clean Water Act.
American Distillation, located next to the Cape Fear River in Navassa, North Carolina, had mishandled waste for years. White facilitated the release of wastewater from a large storage tank into the river to prevent operational delays and financial losses. U.S. Attorney Michael F. Easley, Jr. said in the same release, "We won’t let corporate polluters cut corners for cash while the rest of us bear the costs. Not in North Carolina, not on the Cape Fear River, and certainly not in Navassa, where descendants of the Gullah-Geeche people have faced more than their share of environmental calamities. We’ll fight to protect our resources and our communities - until justice rolls on like a river."
Court documents revealed that American Distillation received more hazardous chemicals than it could manage legally, leading to improper disposal efforts between 2020 and 2024. White’s actions resulted in the release of about 2,500 gallons of wastewater multiple times per year into local waters.
Leslie Carroll, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in North Carolina, said in the U.S. Attorney's Office release, "Our natural resources must be protected from those who blatantly disregard environmental laws by illegally discharging industrial waste into US waters." The case was investigated by the EPA Criminal Investigation Division and the EPA Office of Inspector General. The company has not been charged with a crime.
