American Distillation pleads guilty after releasing pollution into the Cape Fear River
NAVASSA, NC (WWAY) — American Distillation, Inc. (ADI) pleaded guilty to knowingly discharging pollutants and tert-Butyl alcohol into the Cape Fear River.
The chemical processing company located in Navassa admitted to violating the federal Clean Water Act.
ADI owner, Andrew Simmons, Jr, also pleaded guilty to failing to pay federal taxes. These pleas follow an earlier guilty plea from former plant manager Barry White to discharging pollutants into the Cape Fear River.
“The Cape Fear River features diverse habitats, from freshwater streams to a vital saltwater estuary, supporting rare aquatic species and old-growth forests. The company’s multi-year illegal discharges of industrial waste poses a serious threat to the River’s water quality and is harmful to ecosystems,” said Chuck Carfagno, Special Agent in Charge of the EPA’s criminal enforcement program in North Carolina.
ADI was incorporated in 1992 to make and sell industrial grade ethyl alcohol. The company regularly accepts the highly flammable, colorless oily liquid, tert-Butyl alcohol (TBOH), from its customers.
The EPA-issued permit required ADI to properly dispose of TBOH but according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ADI accepted more TBOH and other chemicals from their customers than they could legally dispose of in late 2019 through 2024. Five to six times per year from 2020 to 2024, White released about 2,500 gallons of liquid wastewater from Tank 14 into the river by connecting a hose that drained into a nearby pipe. ADI released TBOH byproduct from Tank 14 into the Cape Fear River to ensure maximum profits without ceasing operations. ADI management had informed some employees that if operations came to a halt, the company would suffer serious financial harm, potentially including dissolution.
