Seattle Barrel and owner sentenced for repeatedly dumping hazardous chemicals into sewer system

SEATTLE - Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company, along with its owner, Louie Sanft, 55, received sentencing in U.S. District Court in Seattle for multiple violations including conspiracy, making false statements, and 33 Clean Water Act violations.

Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced the verdict, with Sanft sentenced to 18 months in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. The company itself was sentenced to five years of probation.

U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, who presided over the trial, emphasized that the chemical discharges into the sewer system were deliberate and dangerous, causing significant environmental and infrastructural damage.

"An enormous amount of caustic waste – an estimated 26,000 gallons of caustic water -- into our system with no idea of what harm it could have done. You had no justifiable reason to engage in this deceitful and dangerous activity," said Judge Jones.

Acting U.S. Attorney Gorman stated, "These defendants sent dangerous caustic chemicals into our sewer system once a week for years. This risked environmental harm to Elliott Bay and the Duwamish River, damaged critical sewer infrastructure, and could have seriously injured utility workers. At many points Mr. Sanft and his company could have reformed their ways – the refusal to do so results in these sentences today."

The case revolved around Seattle Barrel and Cooperage Company's operation, which involved collecting used industrial and commercial drums and reconditioning them. Part of the reconditioning process involved washing the barrels in a highly corrosive chemical solution with a pH level exceeding 12. Since at least 2009, Seattle Barrel had been operating under a discharge permit prohibiting them from discharging wastewater with a pH level above 12 into the sewer system, as it would corrode the sewer system and potentially cause pollution in Elliott Bay and Puget Sound.

In 2013, King County discovered through covert monitoring that Seattle Barrel was illegally dumping effluent with a pH level above 12, resulting in fines. However, the illegal dumping continued.

In 2018 and 2019, covert monitoring by the EPA's Criminal Investigation Division revealed ongoing illegal dumping with a high pH level. Real-time monitoring equipment was installed to confirm these violations. On March 8, 2019, covert monitors detected high-pH material being dumped into the sewer. Agents executed a search warrant and found a portable pump used to pump the solution into a hidden drain, undisclosed to King County, leading directly to the sewer system.

The repercussions of these actions have been significant, with sewer lines downstream from Seattle Barrel prematurely damaged and requiring early repair. The hazardous chemicals involved in the dumping posed serious risks to utility workers, including the potential for blindness, skin necrosis, bone damage, and even death.

Louie Sanft, the owner of Seattle Barrel, was convicted after a three-week trial on multiple charges, including conspiracy, Clean Water Act violations, submission of False Clean Water Act Certifications, and making false statements to EPA agents.

Assistant United States Attorney Seth Wilkinson, who requested a five-year prison sentence, stated, "Louis Sanft affirmatively chose to pollute and engaged in a campaign of deceit to cover it up, despite regulators' efforts to help him comply… Sanft… lied to federal agents…tried to mislead the U.S. Attorney's Office and EPA …and finally, Louis Sanft lied to the jury at trial."

As part of the company's sentence, Judge Jones mandated that Seattle Barrel certify quarterly that it complies with all federal, state, and local requirements, including its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

Acting Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Carr of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for Washington emphasized the seriousness of the crimes and the importance of holding businesses accountable for managing industrial waste in accordance with environmental laws.

Seattle Barrel stated that it ceased using caustic solution after the EPA executed the search warrant in 2019.

The investigation was led by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the King County Industrial Waste Program and the Seattle Public Utilities, Drainage and Wastewater Source Control Division.