ROME, GA – Amin Ali was convicted of disposing of hazardous waste without a permit after dumping hundreds of drums on a poultry farm in North Georgia.
“Ali has exploited the North Georgia environment by illegally dumping hundreds of oil drums,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Environmental laws are designed to keep Georgia’s natural beauty available and safe for future generations, and this office will work to enforce those laws.”
“This sentence serves as a reminder that if you choose to undermine environmental regulations by illegally dumping hazardous waste, you will be held criminally responsible,” said Chuck Carfagno, Special Agent for the EPA CID Southeast Regional Chapter. “The Environmental Protection Agency and its state partners worked together to address environmental issues and bring the defendants to justice.”
“This case demonstrates how local, state, and federal agencies can work together to support and enforce laws designed to protect human health and the environment. I would like to thank and thank the women and men for their efforts and dedication to collectively hold the parties responsible for his actions accountable and to develop a plan to remediate this emission. Such blatant violations pose serious risks to surrounding communities and Georgia’s natural resources and must be remedied,” said Sarah Lipps, director of communications and community engagement for Georgia’s DNR Environmental Protection Division. says.
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court include: RCRA is designed to protect human health and the environment by requiring proper and safe management of hazardous waste, from waste generation to disposal. RCRA prohibits the handling, storage and disposal of hazardous waste without a legally issued permit. RCRA also prohibits transportation of hazardous waste to facilities not licensed to receive hazardous waste.
Defendant Amin Ali owned and controlled Goldstar Investment Group LLC, 7 Days Property Management Inc., and Rock Springs Farming LLC. Through these entities, he owned properties in Dalton, Georgia (a warehouse formerly owned by a chemical company) and Rock Springs, Georgia (farmland, including several old chicken coops).
In August 2021, Ali owned more than 100 drums and other containers of chemicals, many of which contained hazardous waste, and moved from his Goldstar property to his Rock Springs property. has been moved. Drums were discarded in his one of the old chicken coops, and some drums were left in open trenches to be buried. Some of the contents of the drum spilled and leaked into the surrounding soil.
Subsequent examination of the drums and soil revealed the presence of benzene, lead and chromium. Additionally, the contents of the drum were reactive and flammable.
After being alerted through a call to emergency services, Catoosa County, Georgia, the Catoosa County Department of Law Enforcement, the Catoosa County Fire, the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection Emergency Response, the Georgia Department of Environmental Protection’s Hazardous Waste Management Division, and the EPA Emergency Response. We responded to the scene. Ultimately, the cleaning cost her over $500,000.
Amin Ali, 56, of Dalton, Georgia, was sentenced to two months in prison followed by a year of supervised release and ordered to pay a $25,000 fine and $32,596.93 in damages. . Ali was found guilty on June 22, 2022 after pleading guilty to the charges.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is working with partners in the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure environmental justice in all communities and ensure that all people have equal protection from environmental and health hazards and are healthy. We aim to provide equal access to the environment. A place to live, learn, play and work. U.S. Attorney Buchanan recommends that when contacting a local, state, or federal agency hotline or website to report an environmental, health, or safety concern, email USAGAN.Environment@usdoj.gov Residents are encouraged to contact the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Notifying our office helps protect our community from harmful violations of federal health and safety laws. See -justice.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and Georgia Department of Environmental Protection law enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Hoover prosecuted the case.
For more information, please contact the US Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
