KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 20, 2024, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services, LLC (“DES”), based in Knoxville, pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act. The charges stem from knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit, in violation of 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311 and 1319(c). The plea was entered in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Mr. Domermuth could face a maximum of up to three years in federal prison, followed by up to one year of supervised release.
Court documents indicate that Mr. Domermuth operated DES, a company involved in processing petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Knoxville. On July 26, 2018, DES workers spilled a mixture of petroleum and water from an exhumed underground storage tank onto a concrete pad at their facility. Employees, along with Mr. Domermuth, used absorbent pads and a portable pump to move the petroleum-contaminated mixture over a retaining wall at DES. This oily mixture flowed over a neighboring property and into a culvert leading to the Holston River.
Latest TN News
“Domermuth Environmental Services and Christopher Domermuth were engaged in a business that was supposed to be cleaning up contaminated water and soil to protect the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim. “Their actions instead led to the discharge of pollutants into the environment they were supposed to help protect. These felony guilty pleas represent our commitment to enforcing the Clean Water Act.”
“Our office is committed to protecting our natural resources in East Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “I applaud the collaborative efforts of the federal and state law enforcement agencies that brought these violators to justice.”
This prosecution resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – Criminal Investigation Division, EPA – Office of Inspector General (OIG), Tennessee Valley Authority-OIG, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Dykes are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
###
Source: Read Original Release
Sevierville Man Sentenced for Child Pornography
Ronnie Joe Maples, 47, from Sevierville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for receipt of child pornography, followed by lifetime supervised release and mandatory registration as a sex offender. The sentencing followed a guilty plea and an investigation by the FBI and USSS, part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative.