Former production manager at American Distillation, Inc. pleads guilty

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The US attorney’s office says the former production manager at American Distillation Inc. pled guilty to violating the Clean Water Act after releasing chemical pollutants into the Cape Fear River near Navassa.

Barry Darnell White, 63, pled guilty today to knowingly discharging tert-butyl alcohol and other pollutants into the river.

Rather than dispose of hazardous pollutants legally, White hooked a hose to a quarter-million-gallon waste tank, discharging more than 50,000 gallons of pollutants into the river over a four-year period between 2020 and last year.

American Distillation Inc. has not been charged with a crime or admitted to any wrongdoing.

In a statement the company says:

“ADI has cooperated with the Government during its investigation and was aware of Barry White’s plea earlier today.  ADI is continuing to work with the Government to resolve this matter and has implemented measures internally to address what happened.”